《The Whole World Seems To Be Falling For My Wife》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 Being Adopted In the seedy part of a small town, a high-end BMW was parked on the street. It stood out so much since it didn''t match the lowly surroundings. At the same time, a girl in a pair of worn-out jeans walked toward the car with an emotionless face and an old suitcase in her hand. The middle-aged man in the driver''s seat took a nce at the girl from the corner of his eye and let out an evident frown. It was obvious that he was dissatisfied with how in she dressed. "Come on. Get in the car," the man instructed. Meanwhile, the girl remained expressionless. She was neither excited to be able to ride a luxury car nor was she frightened by the man''s cold attitude. As instructed, she opened the car door and sat in the back seat. Inside, the girl quickly noticed that there was already another girl of her age sitting in the front passenger seat. She was dressedpletely differentpared to the girl in front of her, who donned gorgeous clothes and essories that had never been seen in the whole town before. "So, that''s her..." Maria Jenkins softly mumbled to herself. She had recognized the girl in the passenger seat. It was Vivian Jenkins, the new actress who started gaining poprity in the country just recently and was quickly rising to fame. The man in the driver''s seat looked at Maria through the rearview mirror and said, "From now on, you will be my daughter. I am taking you back to Sheffield, where you''ll live your new life. I''ll arrange for someone to teach you how to behave befitting an affluentdy. Learn to adapt to your new identity as the daughter of the Jenkins family as soon as possible. By the way, this is Vivian, my daughter. You must have already seen her on the Inte." But as soon as Bill Jenkins finished speaking, Vivian burst into silveryughter. Speaking in Spanish, shemented, "Dad, have you seen how poor she is? How could she possibly surf the Inte and watch my show?" At first, Bill was stunned that Vivian talked to him in fluent Spanish. But then, he nodded approvingly and replied in the samenguage, "I see you''ve already made great progress in your Spanish. That''s good, but that was a little impolite, dear." Vivian chuckled and responded in Spanish again, "Well, I''m afraid my new sister won''t like what I said, so I chose to talk to you in thisnguage." Bill was actually amused by his daughter, but he cast her a faint smile and lightly shook his head. "Although she can''t be as excellent as you, she is still a distant rtive. In fact, it will be ideal for us if she can be your substitute to marry into the Wilson family." "Dad, how can you say that in front of her? Now, you''re the one who''s being impolite." Under the assumption that their conversation would be iprehensible to Maria, they continued conversing in Spanish without scruple. Besides, they had investigated the town in advance. There were only two Spanish teachers in this remote ce, and they didn''t even graduate college. If the teachers'' standard was already that poor, then they could only conclude that Maria''s education was also subpar. In other words, it should be impossible for her to understand what they were talking about. Before long, the luxury car drove out of the impoverished town. Since Maria didn''t have anything better to do on the way to her new home, she took out an oldptop from her backpack while the two were chatting. All this time, she acted like she really didn''t understand their conversation and began typing away. "Oh! You know how to use aptop, Maria?" Seeing the device sitting on Maria''sp, Vivian couldn''t help but raise an eyebrow. As far as she knew, there were indeed more than a hundred families in that worn-down town whose surname was Jenkins. Although her father managed to climb up thedder, he still had blood ties to these poor, annoying rtives. Maria lost her parents at a young age, so she grew up with the help of these rtives. It was already a miracle that she didn''t starve to death as an orphan and even graduated from high school without any problem. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Due to her living situation, it was unthinkable that she could possess aptop. "This? It''s just for ying games," Maria answered in a low and indifferent voice. Hearing her t tone, a trace of contempt shed through Vivian''s eyes. Did she just say that it was for yingputer games? But then, Vivian realized that she shouldn''t be surprised. This kind of entertainment was only suited for ordinary people like Maria. Vivian also noticed that the surface of theptop looked so old that she couldn''t even identify the brand. "How much did you buy it for?" She continued to feign her curiosity just to find out how Maria got it. "I didn''t spend anything for it." After a brief pause, Maria borated, "I worked in a small digital shop back in town. When the shopkeeper couldn''t afford my sry, he started giving me spare parts as compensation. Eventually, I managed to assemble thisptop myself." It turned out to be an assembledptop from old spare parts. What a low-end digital product. Surely, just as Maria said, it could only be used for nothing more than ying games. At the same time, Vivian also wasn''t that knowledgeable aboutputers, so she immediately believed that Maria''sptop was nothing but a piece of junk. "Well, I guess thatptop matches you very well." Vivian giggled and let out subtle smirk. Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Master M Out of growing curiosity, Vivian narrowed her eyes. "Maria, how much was your sry supposed to be? I can''t imagine why your boss couldn''t even afford to pay you in full." As a matter of fact, she really was wondering how Maria got by back in that seedy town. Her father was a known wealthy businessman in Sheffield. At the same time, Vivian was also making a name for herself. Aside from signing to Yeez Entertainment, she had already obtained lots of resources just half a year after her debut. After nailing her role in a TV series and a reality show, she easily made over a million dors. On the other hand, Maria worked in a digital shop in a small town after graduating from high school, so Vivian couldn''t help but take an interest in how much she was earning from that kind of job. In the back of her mind, Vivian even suspected what Maria earned was probably nowhere near what she spent on her mani-pedi. "The ie isn''t fixed. It depends on the orders we receive in the shop. Unfortunately, the shop wasn''t really doing well recently. There were only a few orders, and my boss seemed to be running at a loss lately so he was forced to give meptop parts and essories aspensation." Maria borated as if it was nothing. Finding it very amusing, Vivian chuckled again. "You got paid based on orders you received? Isn''t that the same as being a temporary worker in a factory?" Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! After thatment, Vivian didn''t say anything more. She just lightly shook her head and let out a sigh of pity. In her mind, Maria''s job was no different from being a lowly production worker. At this time, a chat box suddenly popped up on Maria''sputer screen. "Master M, please advise if you could take this job. Thank you." Seeing this message, Maria took a quick nce at the order request. It read, "The website of an international Children''s Charity Foundation was attacked by hackers. They are urgently requesting to reinforce their firewall." Then, she looked further and saw that the payment for the job was only three hundred thousand dors. Maria''swork ID in her line of work was M, but the staff addressed her as Master M to show utter respect. Apparently, she was a member of Heaven, a well-known hacker organization. The staff would receive orders or jobs from variouspanies and groups, and they would forward them to hackers of this organization, such as Maria, to take them on. Since the reward for this particr request was only three hundred thousand dors, it was impossible to persuade a divine-level hacker in Heaven to take the job. In fact, this amount barely met the standard fees of ordinary hackers inside the organization. However, this charity organization encountered a special situation. Their website was supposed to be very safe and secure, but it still got infiltrated by hackers. If they wanted to reinforce and upgrade their system''s defense, they would need a specialist¡ªone with higher technical capabilities. Of course, the average-level hackers in Heaven weren''t suited for the job. Fortunately, the staff knew that among the few divine-level hackers, only Master M would take orders based on her mood and not the reward. If the client was lucky enough, even if they could only pay a mere thirty thousand, Master M might consider taking the job. Therefore, with this in mind, the staff tried to push his luck and came to Maria. While waiting for her reply, he couldn''t help but feel extremely anxious. "Fine. Ask the client to send the IP address and all relevant data. I''ll update it online soon." Getting the affirmative reply he was hoping for, the staff was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief, then quickly ryed the information to the client. Soon enough, Maria received everything she asked for. Before starting, she cracked her knuckles and began to tap the keyboard with her fingers as light and urate as possible. She was like a pianist whose fingers danced harmoniously. Her beautiful and clear eyes were fixed on theputer screen the whole time as if she was being drawn to it. At the same time, herptop was equipped with a silent keyboard. That way, no matter how fast she typed, it wouldn''t make any sound. It only took a short while for Maria to write aplex set of codes. Even for those who had knowledge in this field, her codes seemed to be as obscure as a mystic foreignnguage. "It''s done." Maria messaged the staff as soon as she finished the task. Normally, upon thepletion of an order, the client would check the work first before proceeding with the payment. However, when the client learned that it was Master M who had taken the job, they already transferred the money to her ount without having to check first. In just a matter of a few minutes, Maria finished a tedious task and gained amission of three hundred thousand dors. "Excellent! Thank you so much, Master M! You saved a lot of charity funds just in the nick of time. Those kids who will receive financial help from our client will definitely be grateful to you!" "No need to thank me. It''s my job, and I got paid for it. It''s just normal business." As soon as Maria sent her reply, she exited the chat box and closed theptop lid. "Oh, you''re done ying?" It turned out that Vivian had been observing Maria all this time. Apparently, she had a feeling that her new sister looked particrly upied just for a game. She wasn''t too stupid not to suspect that Maria was doing something else. "It ran out of battery..." Maria replied casually like it was a usual urrence. "Really? Ha-ha!" Hearing this response, Vivian couldn''t help butugh hard. All her suspicions earlier had been set aside. Now, all she could think of was how lousy thisptop was. Maria had only been using it for less than thirty minutes, but it had already run out of power. She believed it was nothingpared to herptop. After all, Vivian just bought a new one three months ago which cost her a fortune. With its high-end specs, it could run for twenty-four hours straight without having to connect to a power source. Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Chapter 3 New Home After quite a long drive, the trio finally arrived at a river-view vi. As soon as Maria got out of the BMW, she saw a maid waiting for them at the gate. "Mr. Jenkins, Miss Jenkins, wee back! I have been waiting for you guys. Lunch is ready." "Yes, please. I''m starving! Did you cook my favorite garlic shrimp, Lily?" Vivian asked with an expectant look. At the same time, the maid called Lily hurriedly took her bag with a warm smile. "Yes, of course! Everything''s ready inside. Please go wash up and enjoy the lunch." Lily adored Vivian so much. She always looked at the young woman as if she was an avid fan looking up at her idol. "You''ve just arrived, so you shouldn''t be familiar with the surroundings. Anyway, Lily, the maid here, will show you around the house. For now, she will apany you to the room I prepared for you," Bill said tly. Then, he turned to Lily and instructed her, "This is Maria. From now on, she''ll be part of this family, as my daughter of course. Show her to her room so she can settle down first." "Yes, Mr. Jenkins, right away." Lily bowed respectfully before standing still again. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. However, instead of a weing smile, she nced coldly at Maria and didn''t bother helping her carry her luggage as she did for Vivian just now. "Come with me." Indifference resonated in Lily''s voice as she turned around and walked toward the house. On the other hand, Maria didn''t say anything. She just quietly followed Lily while carrying her own suitcase. In fact, her suitcase gave off a dull sound when its wheels ran over the floor, indicating just how heavy it really was. Even so, no one really noticed that Maria casually carried it with one hand and had no trouble with it. "This is going to be your bedroom," Lily uttered as she stopped in front of a door. She took Maria to a room on the first floor. Inside its narrow interior, there was a single bed, a simple wardrobe, and a desk and chair set. There wasn''t a lot of furniture in the room, but it already felt so mped. There was basically no more space for any other stuff. Before entering, Maria looked at the stairs leading to the second floor. Noticing where her gaze was, Lily sneered and caught her attention. "This river-view vi district was developed by a real estate enterprise well-known internationally. The internalyout of this three-floor vi is incredibly unique and sophisticated. It can only be built with top-level design skills and artistic structure. Now, you are going to live on the first floor. Do not dare go to the upper floors if you have no business in there. Also, it might be your first time in a ce this big, so be careful and try not to get lost. Don''t say I didn''t warn you." Lily''s tone was harsh enough to let Maria know that she wasn''t trying to hide her contempt towards a bumpkin like her. At the same time, the maid indeed wasn''t exaggerating about the size of the ce. When she first came to the Jenkins family, Lily had lost her way several times in the passageways around the vi. One time, she even entered the master''s bathroompletely by mistake. If it weren''t for her excellent cooking skills that helped her win Vivian''s favor, she would have been fired a long time ago. "Yeah, I do know something about such vis." Maria replied calmly, shifting her gaze towards the room in front of her. "You do? Ha!" Lily snorted so hard as though she heard a distasteful joke. Maria was nothing more than an ordinary girl from a small town near the countryside, a mere substitute for Vivian''s engagement. Now, she was iming that she understood howplicated and exquisite the structure of the vi was. Of course, Lily found itughable. In fact, it wasn''t until recently that she heard from another maid in a neighboring vi about the history of the river-view vi district. Its design was created by a mysterious and low-key top-level designer, and it was obtained by a real estate enterprise at a remarkably steep price. It was said that the top-level designer was unwilling to take the job at first. However, she happened to be in urgent need of money, so she eventually agreed to do this. Unexpectedly, the designer finished all the intricate designs andyouts in just a day. Considering that she finished the job so fast, the head of the real estate enterprise suspected that her work was perfunctory. Heined to many people and even imed that the designer was a scammer who tried to ask for a huge amount of money for ackluster output. In other words, he tried to discredit her abilities. About three monthster, however, a world-famous designpetition bestowed a Gold Award on the designer''s works. Apparently, her genius was undoubtedly genuine. In order to save face, the head of the estate enterprise immediately issued a public apology. Unfortunately for him, when he tried to contact the designer personally for a new project, he learned that he and hispany were already cklisted. In the age where this kind of news could quickly circte around the Inte, the design circle soon learned that the designer embargoed thepany. As a result, many other famous designers refused to cooperate with them from then on. Eventually, the head and hispany incurred extremely heavy losses that he had to leave the real estate industry and test his luck somewhere else. "Anyway, please remember to stay in your room at all times. I will call you when it''s time to eat. More importantly, don''t make any noise in your room. I am staying in the room next to yours, and I have been having troubles sleeping properly recently. I don''t want to be awakened from my rest just because you''re making unnecessary ruckus in your room! Do you understand?" Lily raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms in front of her chest. Maria could only smile mirthlessly. It was clear that her new identity as thedy of the Jenkins family didn''t have any authority at all. Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Cooking Noodles Unbeknownst to everyone, Maria had narcolepsy. In fact, she also didn''t bother saying this to her new family. But because of this disease, she had the tendency to sleep more than the normal duration. Sometimes, it could even go up to twenty-four hours. When Maria had a narcolepsy attack, she wouldn''t be able to prevent herself from sleeping on the spot. This meant that she could be prone to idents or even suffocation. This was why the consequences of her condition could be fatal. Unfortunately, Maria had a rpse soon after she moved in with the Jenkins family. She was only supposed to take a nap, but when she woke up, it was already eight o''clock in the evening. No one came and tried to wake her up. Hence, Maria wasn''t able to have dinner. "Lily, is there anything else to eat? I overslept, and now I''m hungry." Maria found Lily in the living room, so she asked her for some food. "Oh, you''re finally up. I thought you''re not going to wake up anymore!" Lily said sarcastically. "Anyway, Mr. Jenkins has taken Miss Jenkins to a concert, so they won''t be home untilter tonight. Besides cooking, I also have to deal with all the other house chores. You missed dinner, but it''s not my fault. Don''t expect me to cook for you now. There are noodles, vegetables, and some meat in the fridge. You''re from the countryside, right? I believe even you should be able to cook a noodle dish for yourself." For someone who also came from a poor family, Lily thought that a bumpkin like Maria should at least know how to cook. After all, they had no one else to rely on but themselves. On the other hand, Maria couldn''t help but look at Lily, who said that she was busy with the house chores. Despite what she said, she was actually sitting on the sofa and watching a drama show on TV with a huge bowl of popcorn. Upon seeing the maid munching, Maria could only roll her eyes hard. Only a fool would believe Lily''s words. "It''s okay. I''ll make something for myself." Left with no choice, Maria went straight to the kitchen. Looking at her receding figure, Lily smiledcently. "Do this fake daughter of Mr. Jenkins really think that she can boss me around? I don''t think so!" Lily scoffed coldly, mumbling to herself. She thought that only the true members of the Jenkins family were qualified to treat her as a helper around the house. After all, she and Maria should have onlye from the same background. After a while, Lily started to hear some noisesing from the kitchen. It was the sound of vegetables being cut quickly and skillfully. She couldn''t help but furrow her brows. Although she couldn''t see it in person, she somehow wondered if Maria was actually more skilled at cooking than her. "Ha! Impossible!" Lily took pride in her cooking. After all, it was the main reason why she was still in this household. But a few minutester, a spectacr fragrance spread out from the kitchen. The moment Lily took a whiff of it, she couldn''t stop herself from swallowing hard. What was Maria cooking? How on earth could a simple noodle dish smell this good? Lily''s eyes narrowed, assuming that Maria might have had a unique recipe. That was why even a simple dish could smell so appetizing. "If I can learn it, the Jenkins family will be more satisfied with my cooking. Then, maybe they will decide to give me a raise!" Lily almost drooled in excitement. She couldn''t wait to make ite true. Therefore, she went to the dining room and waited patiently for Maria toe out. When she heard the footstepsing from the kitchen, she put on her brightest smile. "Are you done? What did you cook? Let me have a look¡ª" It was Lily''s first time acting kindly towards Maria, but the smile on her face was reced with disappointment and confusion when she saw Maria came out of the kitchen without bringing anything. "Noodles," Maria answered without any hint of interest in her eyes. "Yeah, I know. But where is it?" Lily asked, her tone getting a little impatient. "I already ate everything. I told you I was hungry." Lily''s face froze upon hearing this. On the other hand, Maria just walked past her and went to the front door. "I''m just going out for a walk and have some fresh air." Lily didn''t answer back, and she only regained her senses when Maria closed the door after going out. She badly wanted to know Maria''s secret recipe, but she was too proud to ask her directly. Instead, she thought of going to the kitchen to see if there were any clues left behind. Unfortunately for her, Maria washed the dishes she used after she ate. The kitchen was as spotless as before. Everything was the same, except for the lingering satisfying smell of the noodle dish. "Humph! I can still ask her next time. I don''t believe she will dare hide it from me deliberately!" Lily was obviously dissatisfied. At the same time, even though a long time already passed, the exquisite aroma still wafted around the vi. After a while, the front door opened again, but it was Vivian who entered. She and her father had just returned from the concert. "Wow! What is that? It smells so good!" Vivian''s eyes widened in delight as she looked at Lily. "Lily, what did you cook? May I please have some?" Lily didn''t know what to say. She thought that admitting that the sensational aroma actually came from the noodle dish cooked by Maria would make her lose face. "Oh, that? I got a little hungry, so I cooked some noodles earlier. However, I''ve already finished all of it. There''s nothing left." Although, it wasn''t very noticeable, Lily''s face flushed red in embarrassment. "Then go and cook some more for me! I can wait!" Vivian ordered at once. Hearing this, Lily was stunned. She realized that she didn''t think her answer thoroughly. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Now, she was in a huge dilemma, and she also made a fool of herself. Of course, she could still cook Vivian a noodle dish. But it wouldn''t be as appetizing as the one cooked by Maria. Then, she would be caught lying. But before Lily could answer again, a dignified and aloofdy came in and patted Vivian on the shoulder. "It''s sote already. No midnight snacks." Vivian could only let out a disappointed sigh. Then, she answered reluctantly, "Alright, mom..." Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Lies Of Masters This was Vivian''s mother, Julie Jenkins. She entered the house, wearing an elegant dress and gorgeous makeup, yet she had this cold expression on her face. As she looked around, her eyes narrowed as they caught something displeasing. There was an evident frown on her face the moment she saw the bowl of popcorn on the coffee table and some even on the carpet, as if some barbaric person without manners lived there. "Is it you?" Noticing the disgust in the hostess''s tone, Lily panicked and decided to pass the me. After all, she wouldn''t want to incur the wrath of the Jenkins family. "No, ma''am... Maria left them there." Hearing Maria''s name, Julie remembered that there was now a new daughter in the household of the Jenkins family. "She just left her trash there? Where is that girl now?" Julie raised an eyebrow, and her annoyance just grew even more. Her first impression of the adopted daughter was instantly shattered just because of Lily''s selfish lies. Swallowing hard, Lily almost stammered, "Mrs. Jenkins, a-after eating... the popcorn... Maria said that she will go out for a walk." Julie shook her head and didn''t want to hear any more. She then turned to her husband with a disapproving expression. "Are you hearing this? How could a young girl go out thiste at night alone? Bill, have you really thought this through? The girl you took back may be the disgrace of our family!" With a long face, Bill sighed and nodded. "You''re right. I willy some ground rules for her. She can''t do whatever she wants to just like that." Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. After exchanging a few more words to express their disappointment, the couple went back to their bedroom on the second floor. "Hey, Lily! Remember to cook that noodle dish for me next time, okay?" Vivian reminded Lily unhappily before also going back to her room on the third floor. Meanwhile, on the riverside, the scenery looked very beautiful. The river glimmered with dotted lights, and the water''s flow sounded so calming. This was indeed a high-end vi district. Even though it was her first time in this new environment, Maria didn''t worry about her safety at all. The Jenkins family didn''t know that aside from the self-assembledptop, Maria also had a mobile phone. It was pure ck in color, and like herptop, the brand trademark wasn''t present. It looked almost like a cheap knockoff phone she bought for two dors from a thrift store. But even though it wasn''t branded, in terms of functionality and security, this mobile phone far exceeded almost all of themercially avable ones. The top-level hackers of Heaven were issued with this special mobile phone that they could use in their jobs. Through this device, they could ess thetest information and data in Heaven''s database at any time. At this time, while Maria enjoyed the tranquil surroundings, she opened her mobile phone and sent a message to the chat room of Heaven''s members. There was only one sentence, but it instantly caused a massive uproar. She said, "I''ll be suspending all my business transactions from here on." "What?! Master M! Why will you stop taking job requests? I just got a big order from a top-500 enterprise. They need to rebuild their internalwork. I was hoping you could do it. No one wants to ept it because the job request is so demanding!" "Of course, this is just temporary, right? When are you returning, Master M?" "I also have many clients who are specifically asking for you." "Hmm... That''s so sudden. Let me guess... Master M, have you fallen in love with someone? Oh, what a lucky guy!" Actually, the only information that Maria let them know was her gender. Aside from that, her identity was aplete enigma. "What are you guys saying? I have just graduated from high school. I don''t have time yet for trivial things such as love. Anyway, there''s also a chance that I may not continue studying in the future. I have recently moved to Sheffield to start my new life here." Maria didn''t want to be lied to, so she also had no intention of doing it. However, not because she told the truth meant that everyone would believe her. In fact, most of them thought that it was just an excuse. "Ha-ha! Master M, that''s too much. Did you say that you just graduated from high school? So, you mean that I, a doctor who graduated from a prestigious university, was destroyed by a high-school student in Heaven''s hackingpetition three years ago? That''s just ridiculous!" "Didn''t Master Night also do thisst time? He said that he will suspend his business because he was hospitalized due to a car ident, and he needed time to recuperate." "Oh, right. I remember that! The following day after Master Night announced his supposed hiatus, an overseas hacker attacked us. But out of nowhere, Master Night dealt with it without much effort. If it weren''t for that hacker, we would have fallen for Master Night''s brilliant ruse!" "I agree! It''s just to be expected that even at deceptions, the masters are very good!" "Ha-ha! I think I know this. Women may have issues with their age. So it''s kind of like 30 never, 18 forever! Am I right, Master M?" While Maria read the messages at the chat room, she could only shake her head lightly while letting out a faint smile. Although they were not familiar with each other on a personal level, they made her feel a sense of warmth and belonging. "Wee to Sheffield." Maria''s brows slightly furrowed as she received a private message. Upon checking the ID of the sender, it turned to be from Night. Like Maria, he was one of the divine-level hackers in Heaven, known as Master Night. "Oh, thanks." But then after thinking for a while, Maria found it to be weird. So, she added, "Does that mean that you believe me? But none of the others do." Meanwhile, in the Wilson family''s residence in Sheffield, a man in a wheelchair was holding the same ck mobile phone that the hackers from Heaven were also using. Then, he sent another message addressed to Maria. "Well, yes. I believe whatever you say." Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Chapter 6 The Vicious Maid In the past, Heaven got infiltrated by spies. For that reason, the hackers there had be extra cautious in befriending each other. Although Maria interacted with the others, she didn''t really fraternize with any of them. Except for her old acquaintances in the business, Maria only chatted with Night on rare asions. Even then, they only talked about hacking techniques. Any other personal information and anecdotes were off-limit topics for conversation. "Would you believe I''m also in Sheffield?" When another message from Night popped up on her screen, a smile appeared on Maria''s face. "I see. What a coincidence." In the few instances that Maria engaged in a conversation with Night, it felt as though they had a tacit understanding. They even had simr chatting styles. A few secondster, she checked the time and thought it was time to go back, so she sent him another message. "Good night." The two words he received had the handsome man in a wheelchair staring at his phone screen with a smile on his face. He then deleted the words he had already typed and decided not to reply. "Why don''t we meet sometime? We''re both in Sheffield anywa¡ª" When Maria made it back to the vi, she saw the BMW parked in front of the house and figured that the Jenkins family were already back. "Why are you out for so long?" Lily greeted Maria with a long face, her hands firmly ced on her waist. Clearly unfinished with her scolding, she snapped, "Everyone is already back from the concert, yet you''re still outside hanging around like those hooligans. This house is governed by rules. Now that you''re part of the Jenkins family, you''d better watch your behavior!" Even though she made it sound like she was reprimanding Maria for staying outte, Lily was actually pretty peeved that she failed to inquire about the secret of the noodle recipe. Since she reckoned that Maria was immune to soft tactics, she decided to intimidate her instead. After all, Maria was still a teenager. Lily believed she could easily make her cough up the secret recipe. However, Maria remained calm all this time. She didn''t even flinch while being scolded with a loud voice. "So, taking a walk in the neighborhood makes one a hooligan? What about the people who actually live in this neighborhood then? What do you call them, huh?" Hearing this, Lily was rendered speechless. She thought that Maria would immediately apologize, and that she could easily manipte her. But she was sorely mistaken. She didn''t expect that the little girl would dare answer back and not be affected at all. Seeing that Lily was too stunned to say another word, Maria deemed that she was now free to go back to her bedroom. However, when Maria took a step, Lily suddenly regained her senses. Then, she hurriedly stepped in front of Maria to block her way. Unexpectedly, she forced a smile. "Maria... I mean Miss Jenkins. I remembered that I intended to ask you this earlier. How did you cook the noodles that you ate? You know, I''m the kind of person who likes to study different recipes. So, I was wondering if you could tell me how you did that dish. Then, the next time you want to eat it again, I can cook it for you instead. What do you think?" As if she didn''t yell at Maria just now and starved her on purpose earlier, Lily acted like they were best buds. However, Maria would not be swayed by fake smiles and pretty words. "No, thanks. I can do that by myself." Maria refused without hesitation. Then, without letting Lily answer, she quickly walked past her and went back to her room. Seeing how Maria walked out on her, her face turned livid with anger. How dare this new girl turn her down without even thinking twice? This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Maria was merely a girl from the countryside. Was she already acting like an arrogant richdy on her first day in the Jenkins family household? Lily gritted her teeth, thinking that this couldn''t go on. Before Maria''s head grew even bigger, she had to teach her a lesson and make her know her ce. She had worked as a maid in this rich family for many years now. With a sinister smile, she decided to let Maria know that living in this household was not going to be a walk in the park. Early morning the following day, a shrilling scream reverberated from the living room. "Ah! Where is it? Jadee! Jadee is missing!" It was time for breakfast when Vivian started shouting in panic. She was holding her new Louis Vuitton handbag with its zipper open. Her cosmetics, cellphone, facial tissue, and headphones were all scattered on the coffee table. Apparently, she had taken out everything inside her bag to find something. Hearing Vivian''s loud voice, Bill and Julie couldn''t help but rush over at once. They thought that something bad had happened to their daughter. "Why are you screaming?" Bill asked with a solemn face, not understanding what was going on. Lily whispered to him, "Mr. Jenkins, Miss Vivian''s favorite jade piece seems to be missing. She had been searching for it all morning." "I swear I put Jadee in my bagst night!" Vivian looked so anxious and fuming in anger. She was incredibly fond of this precious jade piece and always brought it with her every day. Because she liked it very much, she even gave it a name. Moreover, Vivian clearly remembered that before going to bedst night, she put Jadee into her signature handbag, which she left on the sofa in the living room. After hearing what themotion was about, Julie''s arrogant face frowned. "Bill, is your daughter talking about the birthday gift you gave to her that you bought at an auction six months ago? The one you spent over a million dors on?" Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Framed Up "Yes, that''s the one." Bill nodded, feeling kind of irritated. "That was Master Vincent Geoffrey''s work! If it weren''t for that charity auction, whose proceeds would go to poor children, I couldn''t have bought it at such a low price." Vincent Geoffrey was the most famous jade carvings master in the country and a legendary name and figure in this industry. He had no children, nor did he take any disciples. Because of this, no one would inherit his superb skill and talent. Every piece of his work had be a unique and invaluable masterpiece that couldn''t be reced. Jadee, one of Vincent''s notable works, was small yet exquisite, just about the size of a thumb. When it was put up for bidding in the auction, Bill managed to acquire it for over a million dors. However, it turned out that this amount was still supposed to be very cheappared to Vincent''s other prominent masterpieces. It was one in a million, and now, it went missing. Bill couldn''t believe that such a precious jade piece would just be misced. Because of the tension, the atmosphere in the living room immediately became a little awkward. Of course, Bill was upset. Although they were pretty rich, the jade piece still cost a fortune. On the contrary, Julie was much calmer than her husband. She didn''t really care about the money that went to waste. However, she also couldn''t help frowning because she was concerned about something else. What bothered her more was that something got lost inside their home. This kind of incident was very rare. In fact, it might be the first one. "Sir, Madam, I don''t want to specte... But is it possible that someone stole it?" At this time, Lily broke the silence and offered an insinuation. Noticing that she captured everyone''s attention, she continued, "Just as Mr. Jenkins said, Jadee is too precious to be lost just like that. If someone stole it, then maybe we can still find it. In that case, I''m willing to let you search me and my room." Upon hearing this, Bill casually waved his hand and countered, "No. That''s not necessary. You are one of the highest rated maids rmended by the housekeeping center of Sheffield. They guaranteed us your reputation. Besides, you have been in this household for several years, and we''ve never lost anything before. If you''re going to steal something, you should have done it long ag¡ª" While Bill was still speaking, he suddenly stopped as an urgent thought shed in his mind. "Maria... Where is that girl?" Sensing that her n was sailing smoothly, Lily''s face subtly showed a smug grin. She then pointed out of the window and exined, "Miss Maria got up earlier than me this morning. When I saw her, she was already practicing some karate in the yard." Lily spoke these words casually, but there was a deliberate hint in them that the others wouldn''t miss. As expected, the Jenkins family immediately grasped that important information. Maria got up earlier than Lily, which meant that she instantly became a prime suspect. If everyone was still asleep back then, she could have easily stolen the jade from Vivian''s bag. "It has to be her! There''s nobody here who could have a clearer motive! Besides, she''s the real outsider in this house!" Vivian shouted with her eyes widened, unable to maintain herposure. She pointed out of the window and continued yelling at Maria''s back. However, the entire vi was soundproofed. Therefore, Maria obviously didn''t hear anything from the inside. Instead, she continued her routine, practicing karate out in the yard. "Hmm... Actually, her movements are not bad." With narrowed eyes, Julie didn''t immediately agree with Vivian. "She looks so rxed for someone who''s justmitted a crime. It may be too hasty to say that she''s the one who did it." Bill also looked at Maria intently and understood what Julie was saying. "Vivian, your mother may be right. If Maria was the thief, I don''t think she''s going to stay behind. She should have run away, bearing a guilty conscience." N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. But Vivian had no doubts. She gritted her teeth and dered, "Dad! Mom! You''re being deceived! It only meant that this wasn''t her first time doing this! She can be this calm after doing something wrong. Isn''t that scarier? She doesn''t even feel guilty at all!" His daughter''s words somewhat persuaded Bill. "Well, we can''t confirm anything if we don''t do something. We will figure it out if she''s lying. I won''t tolerate such behavior inside this household!" Eventually, they asked Lily to call Maria into the living room. When Maria went inside, she was still sweating profusely. Her wet locks stuck on her face, but she didn''t look the least embarrassed. In fact, this disheveled look made her even more dynamite and beautiful. "Maria, we have something to ask you." The moment Maria stepped into the living room, Bill started talking. He wore a serious expression, and he didn''t want to give her a chance to prepare for what was toe. But before he could continue speaking, his eyes suddenly widened when his gaze fell on Maria''s neck. Hanging around it was a jade pendant, skillfully tied with a ck thread. Furthermore, this jade pendant looked exactly the same as the one that Vivian had just lost. "Jadee!" Vivian also saw the jade pendant on Maria''s neck, so she couldn''t stop herself from bellowing in anger. "You bitch! Not only did you steal Jadee, but you also have the guts to wear it as if it''s yours?!" Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Chapter 8 The Work Of The Master "What did I do now? Who are you calling a thief?" Maria''s brows slightly furrowed but she didn''t really panic in the face of Vivian''s outright usation. "Who else but you!" Pointing a finger at Maria''s neck, Vivian almost exploded. She spouted fiercely, "You know what you did! You stole Jadee!" A bit confused, Maria looked in the direction where Vivian was pointing and found that she was referring to her pendant. "This thing?" As if she still didn''t care about what was happening, Maria casually took off the pendant, and threw it to Bill. Not expecting that Maria would do something like this, Bill was startled. Fortunately, he stretched out his hands in time and managed to catch it immediately. Vivian and Julie also came over to take a closer look and to check if it really was Jadee. But among everyone else, Lily was the most surprised one. It was actually good for her that the whole Jenkins family had caught Maria red-handed. But that wasn''t the point. How on earth did Maria have the same precious jade piece as Vivian? It was supposed to be the work of an extremely famous master. There was no way that poor Maria could possess something like that. More importantly, it was impossible that Maria was the one who stole it because all of this was just a part of Lily''s n to get back at her. She was the one who had hidden Jadee in a safe location. Nheless, her n was still going well. Lily wanted Vivian and the others to me Maria, and it was exactly what happened. The jade piece from Maria didn''t need to be the original Jadee since it just looked exactly the same. "Maria, do you care to exin yourself? Why do you have this?" Bill asked straightforwardly, holding his aching head. He only adopted Maria because he nned to make her marry into the Wilson family in Vivian''s stead. The Wilson family was not only one of the most powerful families in Sheffield, but in the entire country. Even with Bill''s social status, he couldn''t easily get an opportunity to get acquainted with any of them. But one day, Michael Wilson, the master of the Wilson family, suddenly came to Bill with a proposal. He wanted his grandson, Anthony, to be engaged to Bill''s daughter. Of course, Bill was overjoyed with this good news. Of all the other prominent families in Sheffield, Michael chose the ordinary Jenkins family. How could Bill refuse such a tempting proposal? However, something unexpected happened right after the two families made an oral agreement. The Wilson family was involved in a terrible incident. Since they were powerful and influential, it also meant that they had many enemies. One night, Anthony was ambushed by his enemies, and his legs got disabled because of this. Moreover, even Michael, his grandfather, sustained coteral damage from the encounter and needed to be hospitalized. Michael was so angry that he disinherited Anthony for his ipetence. Coincidentally, the senior executives of thepany where Vivian was working had suddenly ranked her high enough to be in a reality show and to star in an online drama as the main heroine. While Vivian''s career was skyrocketing, Anthony became a cripple. Naturally, like any father, Bill didn''t want someone marrying his daughter if he wasn''t the best for her. But of course, Bill was afraid of offending the Wilson family. With that in mind, he came up with the brilliant idea of preparing a substitute bride. After all, based on their oral agreement, he only promised to marry his daughter to Anthony. They didn''t actually indicate which daughter it would be. For that very reason, Bill adopted Maria. Now, he officially had two daughters. Moreover, Maria was a few months older than Vivian. As part of the tradition, the elder daughter should get married first. Therefore, Maria did end up being the perfect substitute. However, Bill seemed to be quite disappointed since the daughter he adopted turned out to be someone capable of stealing from others. Nheless, he was still reluctant to hand Maria over to the police even though they had conclusive evidence right in front of them. In the back of his mind, Bill deemed it would be a perfect opportunity to teach her a lesson instead. He wished to purge all the unpleasant characteristics that she acquired growing up by disciplining her thoroughly. Besides, all his effort would be in vain if he couldn''t turn her into a suitable bride for the Wilson family. On the other hand, Maria had be impatient. Bill and the others were still busy looking at the jade pendant, so she took the initiative and called their attention. "How long will you stare at that thing? Are you sure that''s the one you''re looking for?" The Jenkins family slowly turned their heads over to Maria in disbelief. They couldn''t fathom how she could still act this arrogant when they had just confirmed that she was the culprit. "Well, wouldn''t you know? After all, you''re the one who stole it! How dare you steal Jadee? This is Master Vincent Geoffrey''s work. You may not know the master, but I''m telling you that this work of his is easily worth over a million dors!" Vivian scoffed coldly in a very condescending tone. "Wait... Really? It''s Vincent Geoffrey''s work?" Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Maria felt utterly surprised that she blurted out the name as if she couldn''t believe it. "What? So you do know who Master Vincent Geoffrey is? Turns out you''re not as ignorant as I thought you are," Vivianmented, rolling her eyes hard. She wasn''t really buying it. How could a country girl know a top-level master of jade carvings? That was just impossible. Vincent wasn''t like the other popr artists or celebrities. He had always been mysterious and seldom appeared in public. But unlike Vivian, Julie felt that based on Maria''s tone, there might be a hidden story regarding this matter. "Do you really know Vincent Geoffrey?" Julie asked. It was evident from her tone that she was curious. After hesitating for a bit, Maria answered, "Well, yes. I know him... But not really well." Indeed, they didn''t know each other very well. Besides, in Maria''s point of view, if two people didn''t have a close rtionship and constant communication for at least a few years, they couldn''t really call each other friends. Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Chapter 9 The Imitation "We are talking about Vincent Geoffrey, the renowned jade carving master.You must be thinking of someone else," Bill butted in and red at Maria.He didn''t want to believe that someone like Maria would actually know such a famous figure. In his opinion, Maria was just bluffing. Before teaching her a lesson, he did find it necessary to introduce the background of the master whose masterpiece she stole. "Vincent Geoffrey is a famous artist worldwide.When ites to the jade carving, he is second to none.Six months ago, he donated four small jade carvings of identical design at a charity auction.And yes, Vivian''s Jadee is one of them." Then, Bill picked up a magnifying ss on the tea table and continued, "If you look closely at its bottom side, there should be a micro-carved serial number ''Y0088''...What?" Bill almost jumped in surprise when he saw what was carved on it. The four jade carvings that Vincent himself donated for the auction had the following serial numbers engraved in them: Y0006, Y0008, YO066, and YOO88. In order not to damage the overall beauty of the sophisticated jade carvings, these numbers were carefully engraved at the bottom using a piece of high-end micro-carving equipment. It was so small that it could only be seen with the use of a magnifying ss. However, the moment Bill subjected Maria''s jade piece under the magnifying ss, the serial number that appeared was different from what Jadee originally had. In fact, it was different from every jade piece that Vincent had donated in the auction. This jade pendant wasbeled YO001. After seeing this, the entire Jenkins family was extremely dumbfounded. If the serial number was wrong, it only meant one thing. "What the hell...Y0001? What''s going on?" Vivian blurted out. This turn of events wasn''t funny at all. "Is there such a number? Is this even Vincent''s work?" Y0001.It meant that this was the first work of the master carver in a series of simrly designed outputs. Moreover, it also meant that this was the most valuable among the others. Once the serial number was carved on its surface, it could no longer be changed. Therefore, this simply meant that Maria¡¯s pendant was not the one that Vivian had lost. "Are you finished checking it? If yes, then please give it back to me," Maria said the moment she noticed that they had already realized their blunder. Bill was a reasonable adult who could think more clearly than Vivian. Although this was not Jadee they were looking for, it was probably something much more precious. He couldn''t help but ask, "Then...Where did you get this?" The jade pendant Maria had was of the same design as Vincent''s work. Furthermore, it was numbered "1". Because of this information, Bill found it more confusing. Maria was a mere ordinary girl from a small, poor town. How could she get her hands on such a precious thing? "Back when I was working at the digital store, I was able to save some money from my sry, especially when the business was doing good." Then, she paused for a bit to prepare them for something they might not believe. "I bought it with my own money." To be precise, she only bought the materials. But the entire craftsmanship was hers. Of course, Maria didn''t find it wise to talk to Bill about it in detail. After all, she couldn''t trust them. "You bought it? How could you have afforded it?" It was obvious that Bill was in utter disbelief. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. This girl had just graduated from high school. There was no way she could have made enough money from part-time jobs to afford such a precious jade pendant. All of a sudden, Bill thought of something.He wasn''t sure if his idea would lead to somewhere, but there was only one way to find out.He held up the jade pendant in his hand and tried scrutinizing it. As he looked closely, the only thought that kept running in his mind was the possibility that this pendant was just an imitation made out of cheap materials. The more he pondered this theory, the more he believed it. If Maria could afford a piece of jewelry, it would most likely be just an imitation of the original work.It wasn''t an outrageous idea. After all, many had already tried to copy Vincent''s pieces. On that note, Bill supposed that this pendant was just one of those cheap replicas that could be bought at a roadside stall. The truth was, he was no jade expert. His knowledge of jades was actually so insufficient that he wouldn''t even be able to tell a broken jade from a broken ss. "Fine.It seems that this was all a misunderstanding." Bill then wryly returned the pendant to Maria. The sudden change in her husband''s attitude put a frown on Julie''s face. She wanted to say something more but ended up keeping it to herself.She might not be too familiar with Vincent''s works, but she knew her husband well. Julie reckoned that Bill must have hastily concluded that Maria''s pendant was just a piece of counterfeit jewelry that she got from a small workshop in the vige. Or perhaps, he thought that it was probably made of inferior raw materials. However,pared to Bill, Julie could at least tell that it really was made of fine jade. "Dad! Are you really just gonna let this slide?!" They had wasted so much time all morning, yet they still couldn''t find Jadee. Of course, Vivian still wasn''t appeased. Even if the pendant was a fake, she couldn''t let Maria off the hook so easily and be cleared of suspicion. Trying to think of another way to pin the me on Maria, Vivian thought of suggesting that they search the new girl''s room this time. Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Vincent Geoffrey "Isn''t there any surveince camera in such a high-ss vi?" Maria asked in an arrogant tone, as if mocking the father and daughter''s stupidity. In her opinion, this was a matter that could be easily dealt with. They could either check the surveince video footage, or just call the police toe and handle it. Why did they waste time on questioning her? Having grown up in a small town, Maria knew all the other members of the Jenkins family there. Although Bill was the richest man among the Jenkins, he was obviously not the smartest one. Upon hearing Maria''s words, Bill''s eyes lit up in enlightenment. "Yes! We have surveince cameras in our house!" Lily instantly became nervous. She took a few steps back quietly without anyone noticing, and then suddenly shouted, "Look! What''s that under the sofa?" As she spoke, she nudged the sofa aside a little bit so that everyone could see what was hidden underneath. "Ah! My Jadee!" Vivian shouted excitedly and picked it up at once. Bill grabbed the magnifying ss to check the serial number on the bottom of the jade piece. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. "Yes, the number is YOO88.It is Jadee!" Bill confirmed with a relieved smile. "There''s no need to check the surveince video then.Vivian, you must have dropped it under the sofa by ident." It was only upon hearing that they weren''t going to check the surveince video that Lily rxed again. As for Vivian, she waspletely distracted by the delight of finding her treasure again.She took out a wet tissue and carefully wiped off the dust on the jade piece. Now that Jadee had been found, everyone crowded around to look at it. In the process, they ignored Maria as if she had never existed. "If there''s nothing else, I''ll go back to my room now," Maria announced tly. Unsurprisingly, no one paid attention to her. Pursing her lips in annoyance, Maria turned around and went back to her room. After locking the door behind her, she took out her phone and texted an online friend who went by the name of V. "Vincent, yellow card warning! Why did you giarize my jade carving design?" A reply arrived from Vincent only a few secondster. "I''m just redoing my disciple''s design as practice.How can you call that an act of giarism? Listen, I was recently invited to a charity auction, where they wanted me to showcase some new work.But how could I design something new on such short notice? That''s why I just used yours." This Vincent was in fact the internationally well-known master, Vincent Geoffrey. Reading the so-called exnation of this jade carvings master, Maria didn''t buy it at all. "Huh?" Although it was just one word, it was full of warning. Vincent hurriedly added, "Anyway, I did it for charity.Don''t haggle over every ounce.A master is to his disciple what a father is to his daughter.I have merely borrowed your design.After I die, all the glory and wealth of the Geoffrey Jade Carving School will be yours." If Vincent''s words ever leaked out to the public, it would cause a great uproar in the jade carving industry.It was well known that Vincent didn''t have any disciples. But now,mon knowledge seemed to be far from the truth. In fact, Vincent seemed to have already found a sessor and even prepared his will. If Maria inherited Vincent''s wealth, she would be one of the top 100 female billionaires in the country overnight. "What disciple? Didn''t I refuse you for the ny-ninth timest month? I am not your disciple," Maria corrected him calmly. "I''ve given you advice on how to carve.How can you not take me as your master?" No one would believe that Vincent Geoffrey, an international master of jade carvings and a famous expert in the industry, was actually a big fan of various emojis during online chatting.He sent three different angry emojis to protest Maria''s refusal to call herself his disciple. "Advice? We were just discussing the matter, weren''t we?" Maria retorted. "You were just an injured old man I picked up from a ditch in the mountains.At that time, I was kind enough to let you stay at my house and recuperate, but you didn''t leave even after your injury was healed, and overstayed your wee by more than half a year.Speaking of which, when are you going to pay me back all the medical and food expenses?" Vincent was a little embarrassed. "It''s because you cook so well!" he protested. Maria rolled her eyes. "So you''re saying it''s actually my fault?" Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Anthony It wasn''t really a secret that Vincent liked to travel to var ces to look for inspiration. In fact, remote towns were favorite among them. One time, he happened to stumble upon a mountain near the t: where Maria lived. Unfortunately, he got in an ident.He down and was injured in the process. Luckily for him, Maria passing by, so she was able to save him. "Ugh! I just can''t catch a break..." After being tantly rejected again, Vincent could only sigh de andin loudly. "What''s wrong? Did something happen to you?" At this time, a guest was sighted in Vincent''s house, which was a rare asion. "Let me guess...You have been rejected again, haven''t you?" young guest wore a yful smile and seemed to know Vin? very well. He was able to directly point out what was making this gloomy. In low spirits, Vincent looked at his guest with a frustrated "My dear disciple doesn''t want to ept me as her master.Do know how sad that makes me feel?¡¯ The young guest, who was sitting in a wheelchair, shook his t lightly but remained silent.He actually wanted to say that couldn''t be Vincent''s disciple if she was yet to ept him as master. But of course, the young man didn''t want to rub more salt into his friend''s wounds. In fact, he would often hear Vincent talk about this person. But whenever he took the initiative to ask further about her, Vincent was always unwilling to reveal more information. Even her name remained unknown. Vincent continued, "I am a lonely old man and she is an orphan.It''s the perfect setup for both of us.If she agrees to be my disciple, I can legally take her under my wing and bring her home.Then, I will let her cook for me every day¡ª Ehem! I mean...I will let her learn jade carvings from me every day." The moment Vincent realized that his tongue slipped, his face turned bright red.He tried to correct himself, but his guest had already heard what he said loud and clear. In response, the young man chuckled, covering his mouth out of politeness.But it was such a funny incident that he couldn''t stop smiling. Vincent was so ashamed of his blunder. How could he suddenly blurt out his ulterior motive for trying to turn this girl into his disciple? "Anthony, stopughing.You haven''t tasted the dishes she makes, so you don''t know how sensational her cooking is! Ha! I''m sure if you try it, you''ll fall for her.Oh, speaking of which...Are you still single? How about I introduce you to my disciple? I swear you won''t regret it." Hearing this, Anthony let out a bitter smile and politely declined, "No, thanks.Grandpa has already arranged someone for me to marry." Vincent was stunned, unable to believe what he just heard. "What? But I heard that you and your grandfather had a falling out.He even deprived you of the right to be his heir, right? So, what''s this engagement still for?" Falling out. Anthony thought that it was a much better term.He simply smiled, not showing any sign of frustration or disappointment. Out of nowhere, Vincent asked in a serious tone, "Anthony, do you believe in destiny? All my life, I was trying to find a qualified sessor.I almost gave up and thought that it was futile.But during the most unexpected situation, I met her! Can you believe that our encounter happened because I was in an ident on the mountain? I''m telling you! This is fate!" "An ident on the mountain, huh?" Anthony repeatedly in a low voice, his brows slightly furrowed. "Yes! If that''s not destiny, I don''t know what is!" After a few more minutes of conversation, Anthony deemed it was time to say goodbye. As he left, he took a jade Buddha statue with him.It was one of Vincent''s most famous works and actually the main purpose of his visit. Soon, Anthony returned to the Wilson family''s house in Sheffield. As soon as he entered the huge mansion, he ran into his uncle, Raymond Wilson, who was currently in charge of all the affairs of the Wilson family. Upon seeing Anthony sitting in his electric wheelchair, a hint of sarcasm and condescension shed across Raymond''s face. "Oh, Anthony.You''re back already.Is that the birthday gift you''re going to give to your grandfather? What do you have ther¡ª" Raymond''s voice disappeared when he saw the jade Buddha statue. The smug smile on his face also vanished, and all that remained was utter surprise. "Is that...the famous Buddha statue made by Vincent himself? H- how...How''d you manage to obtain it?" However, Anthony didn''t seem to be in the mood for idle chitchat. "Yes, it is.Now, please excuse me." Right after answering the question, Anthony directly ended the conversation and left. Raymond was left there, watching his nephew''s receding figure while his eyes were filled with burning jealousy. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. "Bah!" Raymond mocked in disdain. "Dad haspletely given up on him, but he still doesn''t want to give up.Does he think he can make everything alright again just by getting his hands on Vincent''s work? Dream on!" Although Raymond said this out loud, deep inside him, he was still a little worried. Currently, everyone in the Wilson family knew just how mad Michael was at his grandson, and Raymond was one of those who felt delighted by the situation. Michael wouldn''t change his mind just because of a Buddha statue, would he? Raymond certainly hoped not. After all, with Anthony out of the picture, he had practically taken over the entire Wilson family as the new head. Of course, he didn''t want to lose the power he had just acquired just because Anthony was able to patch things up with Michael again. Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Chapter 12 The Trap Anthony came into his grandfather''s room with the Buddha statue.He ced the statue on a table, and then turned his wheelchair and stopped in front of the bed. The old man lying in bed instantly saw what Anthony brought in, and he looked at his grandson with loving eyes. "I don''t know if you''ve noticed it, but Raymond is growing a little too big for his britches.Don''t you think?" The moment Michael mentioned Raymond''s name, he couldn''t conceal his disgust. "Well, how long are you going to let him boast around acting all mighty?" As Michael continued talking, Anthony gently poured a cup of water for his grandfather. "He''s only in charge of the family business by name.It''s not like he can really do whatever he wants." The business the Wilson family ran was divided into two major factions¡ªthe core business and the periphery business. On the surface, what most people saw was the periphery business. Although it seemed to unt the family''s influence and resources, it actually had little value. However, the core business was the one that served as the center of actual power and wealth of the family. On top of that, it was highly ssified. It was too critical that people like Raymond weren''t even qualified enough to know about its existence. "Still, I can''t help but feel sorry for you..." Michael said softly as he lowered his head. Some time ago, the Wilson family underwent drastic changes. It all began when Michael got injured and hospitalized, and Anthony became a cripple. For most people, what they knew was that this happened because of Anthony''s poor judgment. He failed to foresee their enemies¡¯ n, making him and his grandfather fall victims to the trapid out for them. In the end, Michael was injured and he himself became disabled for the rest of his life.Then, in Michael''s anger, he decided that Anthony wasn''t worthy of bing the heir of the Wilson family anymore. This meant that he would have to select another heir from the Wilsons. Although this was supposed to be just a rumor, there was a pretty powerful piece of evidence pointing out its credibility. This was when Michael arranged Anthony''s marriage to the daughter of a "humble" family. The Jenkins might have a reputation that was much greater than average families in Sheffield, but their social status was still far downpared to the Wilson family. But no one knew that behind all these rumors, the one actually pulling the strings to spread them was none other than Anthony himself. "Is it not time to draw the up?" Michael asked, hinting at the possibility of taking action. However, Anthony just shook his head and uttered, "Don''t be too worried about Raymond.He''s just a clown who won''t be able to do anything against me.There are still some people who are lurking in the dark.We have to sniff them out first.If they are going to y a waiting game, I can be patient." Seeing the confidence in Anthony''s eyes, Michael also felt assured. Most times, in wealthy families, the family members valued the benefits that they could obtain more than having a harmonious rtionship with everyone. In fact, in order to guarantee his inheritance right, Raymond contacted the Wilson family''s rivals and colluded with them. They plotted to kill both Michael and Anthony, the master and the heir of the Wilson family at that time.He was so blinded by greed that he didn''t care how unforgivable his action was. Because of this, Anthony decided to put on this show in order to reorganize the Wilson family. Of course, he and Michael were in on it together. "I also heard that the Jenkins family adopted a country girl to rece their daughter to marry you. Is that true?" Michael let out a frown, thinking that Bill wasn''t being grateful to them. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Even though Bill tried his hardest to secretly manipte the situation in his favor, his movements wouldn''t escape Michael''s intelligencework. "It''s my fault that we cannot find out the true identity of the person who tipped us off...But I didn''t expect that Bill would pull off something like this.That man can be a wily fox." "It doesn''t really matter." Anthony waved his hand, his tone very indifferent. "In fact, I think it''s good that my bride is going to be a girl from a small town in the countryside. At least I''d know for sure that she has a clean background." It was true that with Raymond''s help, the enemies of the Wilson family managed to ambush Michael. However, Anthony managed to save him at the most crucial moment. Moreover, the only reason why Anthony coulde and save Michael in the nick of time was that he had received a mysterious tip about their enemies¡¯ n. The Wilson family boasted a lot of resources and high-end technology, but they still couldn''t locate the person who sent the information that saved Michael. The only thing they could confirm was that the information was sent from the small town in the countryside where the poor Jenkins families lived. Although the person was adamant about revealing their identity, Michael found out about Bill Jenkins through thorough investigations. It turned out that he was the only Jenkins from that town who now lived in Sheffield. Coincidentally, Bill had a daughter. After conducting a background check, they learned that Vivian seemed to meet all the standards of an eligibledy. Therefore, on a whim, Michael made an arrangement to set up an engagement between Vivian and Anthony. However, Anthony was busy with other affairs at that time, so he didn''t know that Michael was nning something like this. Nheless, he didn''t object or say anything even after learning about the engagement. He simply began to spread the rumor that he was stripped of the right to be the heir of the Wilson family and that he ended up being permanently disabled because of the ambush. He actually thought that Bill would propose to cancel the engagement after hearing about the rumors. But it came as a surprise that because he didn''t dare offend the Wilson family, he actually adopted a new daughter to make the situation still favorable for him. "Anyway...Anthony, you know that arranging this engagement for you at that time was just an impulse of mine.If you want, we can always call it off..." Michael thought that as he grew older, his decision-making skills got poorer.Because of this engagement, he assumed that he made unnecessary trouble for Anthony. Now, he wanted to cancel the engagement. The only problem was that if the Wilson family took the initiative to propose its withdrawal, it would inevitably make them lose face. If they pushed through with it, they would have to properly apologize to Bill for the inconvenience they caused. However, it seemed that Anthony had a different idea in mind.He shook his head and advised, "Don''t worry about it.I''ll handle it myself." Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Chapter 13 A Date After taking Maria to Sheffield, Bill began to arrange a date for her and Anthony. Right now, it was the first priority on Bill''s agenda.He wouldn''t be able to rest easy until Anthony agreed to get engaged to Maria.It was the best possible result Bill could think of. If things worked out this way, then on one hand, Bill wouldn''t offend the Wilson family, and on the other hand, Vivian wouldn''t have to marry a cripple. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. It would be Maria who would have to marry that cripple who had already lost the right to inherit the Wilson family''s property. Bill had been observing Maria for a long time. Although she usually possessed a cold temperament with a fiery look in her eyes, there was no doubt that she was a beauty.It was fortunate that Maria never wore makeup and always dressed in in, simple clothes. Otherwise, she would easily outshine Vivian. All the clothes and jewelry Vivian wore were from famous brands, and her cosmetics and skincare products cost an arm and a leg. One look at her and anyone could tell that she was a high-maintenance woman. But even so, sometimes when Bill looked at Vivian, who put painstaking effort into every detail of her appearance, and then at Maria''s naturally stunning face, he felt that Vivian was way out of Maria''s league. "Maria, Anthony has agreed to meet you today.Go and prepare for it." As soon as Bill secured an appointment with Anthony for Maria, he informed her about it. "Prepare what?" Maria asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion. Taken aback, Bill scoffed. "I mean that you should change into a beautiful dress and put on some makeup, of course.You can''t just go dressed like this to meet Anthony, can you?" "Why not? I think it looks fine," Maria said indifferently. She was wearing a simple white shirt with a pair of light blue jeans.Her long dark hair was tied into a ponytail, making her look neat, bright, and vibrant. However, Bill was obviously not satisfied. "Do you know where you will be meeting Anthony Wilson? The Jade Hotel! It is the best luxury hotel in Sheffield.If you go there dressed like this, you will look worse than their hotel waiters." Upon hearing this, a hint of interest finally appeared on Maria''s face. "Did you just say...Jade Hotel?" Bill red at her. What was wrong with this girl? She acted like she was very familiar with Jade Hotel. "What?! Jade Hotel?" Vivian, who happened to be nearby, cried out in surprise. "It''s just a normal date.Why did you choose Jade Hotel for that? Besides, how did you even manage to book a table there?" Vivian had once starred as the lead actress in a web series. After thepletion of the shooting, the crew had tried to book the Jade Hotel for their celebration party, but failed. The reason Jade Hotel had given for their refusal was that they were already booked to full capacity and could not ept new reservations. However, Vivian hadter heard that only big-name actors like Oscar winners could hold their celebration parties at the Jade Hotel. In the view of Jade Hotel, Vivian, who was just a new actress in a web series, was not even close to being qualified to be holding a party at their hotel. If they epted Vivian''s reservation, they would be lowering the standards of their own hotel, so they had politely refused the reservation instead. So naturally, Vivian couldn''t swallow the news from her father at all.She couldn''t even hold a celebration party for the sess of her web series at the Jade Hotel. How could Maria go there simply for a date with a cripple? "Dad?!" Vivian prompted again, unable to contain her dissatisfaction with the situation. A bitter smile spread across Bill''s face. "Vivian, you must have misunderstood.I didn¡¯t book the Jade Hotel for this meeting; the Wilson family did.The Wilson family is a top VIP member of Jade Hotel, so they can patronize any of their branches all over the world at any time." Vivian couldn''t believe her ears. This... Was this the difference between an ordinary rich merchant and a family with centuries and centuries of generational wealth? ? Vivian wasn''t allowed to book a reservation at the Jade Hotel even for a grand celebration party, but the Wilson family could go there as and when they liked. At the thought that Maria would be able to go to the Jade Hotel soon, jealousy bubbled up in Vivian''s heart. But she shook her head andforted herself silently, "Forget it! No matter how powerful the Wilson family is, I can¡¯t marry a cripple.Besides, he''s not even the heir of the Wilson family anymore." Thinking of this, Vivian felt much better. Chapter 14 Chapter 14 Chapter 14 Jade Hotel "Are you not going to change into better ones?" Seeing that Maria didn''t even make an effort to dress properly for the date, Bill pointed at her appearance and urged her to change her clothes. Maria couldn''t help but raise her eyebrows in protest. "All of my clothes are like this.I don''t think you''ll find anything that will satisfy you even if I wear them all." Hearing this, Bill sighed and turned to Vivian.He had no choice but to ask for her help. "Vivian, can you please lend some of your dresses to Maria? She''ll just borrow it for a day.Besides, you already have too many of them." "What? No way!" Vivian instantly frowned as she strongly refused.She did have many beautiful dresses, and all of them were from famous brands. In fact, some of them were even haute couture. But there was no way that she would let Maria borrow those expensive dresses. The moment Maria wore it, Vivian would never want to touch it again. But upon realizing that her reaction was a bit over the top, Vivian immediately regained her composure.She then forced a smile and said to Maria, "I''m not being narrow-minded, okay? But my dresses are tailor-made for me.So, even if I let you borrow them, I don''t think they will fit on you." Being a popr actress that did a few online dramas now, Vivian was actually confident about her face and figure. But while she was speaking, Vivian looked at Maria subconsciously. After secretlyparing her overall looks with Maria''s, she felt a little depressed.She didn''t notice it earlier, but she was about one inch or two shorter than Maria. The pill that was even harder to swallow was when she realized that her figure was also inferior to Maria. Luckily for Vivian, Maria was always cool and aloof.She didn''t put much effort in her appearance and would just go with in shirts and jeans. However, no matter how simple her clothes were, they weren''t enough to hide her curvy figure. Therefore, if Maria started wearing fancy dresses, it would definitely stun everyone. Realizing this, Vivian suddenly felt like she didn''t have that mature charm whenpared to Maria. Even she had to admit that her "sister" was easily prettier and hotter than she was. Consumed by this thought, Vivian couldn''t help clenching her fists and gritting her teeth. A father would know his daughter better than anyone. Even without Vivian saying the real reason why she didn''t want to lend her dress to Maria, Bill already had a clear hunch. At this time, he looked at his watch and found that it was almost the appointed time to meet Anthony. Therefore, he thought that they should be on their way. Bill dropped off the idea of Maria having to dress better for this asion. Despite being in, she was a really good-looking girl.He was confident that Anthony wouldn''t have anyints about her. With that, Bill let out a faint smile and said, "Forget it.You don''t have to change your clothes.We''ll be late if we don''t go now." Maria nodded and was also relieved. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. If Bill still forced her to wear one of Vivian''s fancy dresses, she would have to find excuses to refuse. Of course, she found it to be such a drag. Jade Hotel, the venue for their meeting, was a magnificent and pretty huge ce. When they got there, Bill and Maria sat down in the cafe in the lobby. While drinking the coffee served to them, Bill started to feel a little nervous. This was just supposed to be a leisure area in the hotel, but Bill already had an illusion that he was in a pce. Initially, Bill didn''t pay much attention to this date because he firmly believed that Anthony had lost his family''s right of inheritance. Moreover, for someone who wouldn''t be able to walk again, Bill thought that Anthony shouldn''t be too picky with who his bride was going to be. With Maria''s beauty, he should already be grateful to have her as his wife. But as they were waiting for Anthony''s arrival, Bill was utterly shocked by the grandeur of Jade Hotel.He thought he had a clear grasp of the power of Wilson family, but he was sorely mistaken. Now, he clearly remembered that they were still considered a humble familypared to the Wilsons. Out of nowhere, Bill began to take this engagement seriously again. Then, he let out an evident frown, ming Anthony in his mind for being so careless. If he hadn''t lost his qualification for the inheritance, Vivian would be his wife, and they could gain an unthinkable amount of benefits. Bill would have been the father-inw of the future master of the Wilson family.It was any father''s dream. "I have to go to thefort room for a few minutes." While Bill was in a daze, Maria suddenly stood up. Although she was a bit panicky, she didn''t show it on her face. But it wasn''t because of this date.She had a feeling that her narcolepsy might suddenly ur at any time. Hence, she wanted to at least wash her face with cold water to keep herself awake. "What? Now? Can''t you just hold it in for a little while? Anthony will arrive at any minute.It''s a bit disrespectful that you''re not here to greet him when hees." However, Maria started walking away, so he called out to her in discontentment, "This ce is very big.Be careful not to get lost, okay?" On the other hand, Maria ignored him and didn''t even turn her head. Instead, she just went straight toward a certain direction. Seeing this, Bill became curious. It should be Maria''s first time here in Jade Hotel. So, why was she walking steadily as if she knew exactly where thefort room was? Then, as he looked further into the direction where Maria was going, his eyes opened wide. There was a guidance mark that looked like a piece of artwork. It indeed pointed out to the direction of thefort room. Did Maria already see this earlier? Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Did You See Everything Maria staggered forward. Each passing second, her vision became more and more blurred. Fortunately, she still managed to get to the area just outside thefort rooms. With her consciousness quickly fading, she held onto the shared sink with both her hands. Then, she turned the faucet on for some water.But to her surprise, nothing flowed out.She thought that this was such a sick joke. Jade Hotel was known as the most luxurious hotel in Sheffield. How could there be no water in the sink? This was so uneptable. A secondter, from the corner of her eye, she vaguely saw a sign beside the sink which read, "UNDER REPAIR". What an unlucky coincidence. However, she couldn''t just give up. Maria had to do something before shepletely lost her consciousness. Still able to think, she tried to go inside thefort room, knowing that there should be a sink in both the men''s anddies'' rooms. But she was really dizzy at this point.She couldn''t determine which side was thedies¡¯ room. Not able to clearly process things anymore, Maria just went with her gut, chose a side, and barged inside. She had no time to care whether it was thedies¡¯ room or not. Inside thefort room, she rushed to the sink and turned the faucet on. Finally, a cold stream of water gushed out, and she was able to stimte her facial nerves with it. After constantly sshing water on her face for a while, Maria''s sleepiness eventually dissipated, and she became fully awake again. However, from her peripheral vision, she seemed to catch a glimpse of a person standing in front of the urinal nearest to her. At this moment, Maria''s eyes widened. Wait! A urinal?! It meant that she actually barged into the men''s room, and someone was there, witnessing her stupid mistake. The man in front of the urinal looked pretty tall and was wearing a suit. However, Maria was slightly confused upon seeing an electric wheelchair beside him. What was it for? But of course, she didn''t have time to think about it.She was in the wrong restroom, and she had to get out of there as soon as possible. Moreover, the atmosphere had already started to get awkward.She couldn''t help but wonder what the man was thinking of her. Without saying a word, Maria tried to walk out as if nothing happened. "Did you see everything?" The man called from behind Maria and asked an unexpected question. Hearing this, Maria couldn''t help but stop in her tracks.She couldn''t believe that this was what he was going to ask her. Oh, how embarrassed she was. What was this person thinking? Couldn''t he just ignore her instead? Clearly, she didn''t intend to go inside the men''s room on purpose. However, feeling that the man wouldn''t get off her back, she gritted her teeth and sneered coldly. "Yes, I saw it.Are you going to hold me responsible just because I did?" After saying that, Maria went out of thefort room without looking back.She used to be very composed, but now, her pace was somehow hurried. A moment after Maria left, the man smirked and sat back in his electric wheelchair.He took his time very well before he came out. At the same time, Maria didn''t return to the cafe right away. Because she sshed water on her face, her cor had also got wet and she had to fix herself first. Otherwise, she wouldn''t hear the end of it from Bill. Thus, she went to thedies¡¯ room and made sure she looked decent enough before walking back to the cafe. "Oh, there she is." Seeing that Maria was finally back, Bill pointed at her while letting out an unprecedented kind smile. "Maria, I''m d you''re here already.Let me introduce this gentleman to you.This is...Wait.What''s wrong with you?" Before Bill could finish introducing Anthony to her, he noticed that Maria was flummoxed, as if she just saw a ghost. Although Maria had only taken a nce at that man she ran into in the men''sfort room, she immediately recognized that he was the same guy who was sitting face to face with Bill right now. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. After all, she wouldn''t be mistaken by something more obvious. This guy was sitting on the same electric wheelchair that she saw back there. "No...It''s nothing." Although Maria looked very stunned for a few seconds, her eyes immediately returned to being calm. Regaining herposure, she sat down as if the incident in the restroom didn''t happen. Since the man across the table remained silent about it, Maria also didn''t say a thing. In fact, only Bill was the one talking all this time. "Oh, okay.As I was saying, this is Mr.Anthony Wilson; and this is my daughter Maria.Mr.Wilson, I''m aware that the marriage between you and my daughter was decided by your grandfather.However, I''m afraid he didn''t know that I actually have two daughters.You must already know Vivian since she is an actress.On the other hand, Maria was raised in the town Ie from, and she is actually my elder daughter.Because we were not able to talk about it at length, there might have been some misunderstandings.Instead of Maria, I think your grandpa believed that Vivian was going to be your fiancee.Even you must know the tradition.The elder daughter should be married first, so I hope you have no problem with that.Besides, Maria is an outstanding girl.I do believe that you won''t have an issue with her.Ha-ha..." Bill let out a nervous chuckle but still kept on talking without stopping. On the other hand, Maria couldn''t help but scoff subtly. The Wilson family was one of the richest and most powerful families in Sheffield.She wondered if Bill was really expecting that he could fool them. Although it seemed that he was the one dominating the conversation, in fact, he was in a passive position. No matter how hard he sold Maria, whether the engagement would go on or not waspletely up to Anthony. Being deliberately toyed with by the Jenkins family, Maria assumed that Bill was only making Anthony angry. "It''s fine." At this time, Maria was instantly dragged back from her thoughts the moment she heard Anthony''s voice. The handsome man in the wheelchair seemed to be very gentle, but Maria could detect a cunning smile on his face. "Miss Maria, right? You don''t have to worry, Mr.Jenkins.I am in favor of this arrangement." Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Confirming The Rtionship Neither Bill nor Maria had expected that Anthony would readily ept this engagement. Of course, Bill was overjoyed.He was worrying that this wouldn''t end nicely, but the oue was even much better than he expected.With this done deal, the engagement wouldn''t be canceled and the rtions between the two families wouldn''t deteriorate either. Although Maria was not Bill''s biological daughter, he still had the luxury of bing the Wilsons¡¯ in- law, and he didn''t even have to sacrifice his own daughter.He couldn''t imagine a more perfect situation than this. Anthony might have been deprived of their family''s right to inheritance, but Bill still felt very lucky. Just to be called a father-inw by one of the Wilsons was such a great feat. "Anyway, Mr.Jenkins, may I talk with Miss Maria alone, please?" Anthony''s voice was so gentle and full of respect. Upon hearing this, Bill couldn''t stop grinning from ear to ear before nodding repeatedly. "Of course! No problem.In fact, I am not going to disturb you at all.I will go home first, so please have a good time, you two." Bill left briskly, and his intention couldn''t be more obvious. Looking at his receding back, Maria subtly rolled her eyes. And then, she couldn''t help but lightly shake her head in confusion. If Bill was so simple-minded, then how did he be rich and sessful in the cruel world of business? When only the two of them were left, an awkward silence filled the room, and the atmosphere also felt kind of tense. After all, even though it was just an ident, Maria still discovered Anthony''s secret¡ªhe was only pretending to be disabled. She then surmised that Anthony epting the engagement was merely part of another scheme. Would she be silenced? Maria had watched some TV series where the viins plotted murder because their secret was exposed. With a wild imagination, she supposed that a prominent person like Anthony might really pull off something like that. But while she was lost in her thoughts, Anthony broke the silence. "Miss Maria..." "Yes?" "I''ll be upfront.We actually don''t have to get married for real.I just want us to be engaged for some time.Will you please cooperate with me?" This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. "Wait...What? So basically, you want a pretend engagement?" Maria was a little surprised.She didn''t expect that Anthony had something like this in mind. But why? Why did he need to do this in the first ce? Because of her natural distrust of strangers, Maria didn''t find any reason to agree. Besides, the main reason why she followed Bill to Sheffield was because she had something to do here.She didn''t want toplicate her life with this facade. Obviously, there was a hidden story as to why Anthony needed to pretend that he was disabled. However, it had nothing to do with Maria, and she was not interested in being involved. "Well, can I refuse?" Maria asked casually. Anthony didn''t answer at once, but let out a sly grin. "Miss Maria, I think you still remember what just happened in the restroom earlier.To answer your question back then, yes, you ought to be held responsible for it.Are you not going to give me your word?" Maria was rendered speechless.She took a deep breath and held back her anger to the best of her ability.Her hunch was right. This man was indeed scheming. Maria fell into a dilemma. Of course, she didn''t barge into the men''s room on purpose, but still, she had to prepare for the consequences of her actions. "The engagement will onlyst for at most a year.After that, I promise to announce a peaceful breakup with you.So, please cooperate with me and y the role of my fiancee within a year.That''s all I ask.In addition to the nominal engagement, you only need to apany mein attending all kinds of public social activities, including but not limited to parties, international economic summits, family banquets, and the likes.Of course, I won''t force you to live with me, sleep with me, or have any intimate interactions in public such as kissing.More importantly, during that one year that we''re engaged, whenever the Jenkins family needs support from the Wilson family, I can readily lend some help as long as it is reasonable.As for the matter that I pretend to be disabled, you have to keep it a secret.You cannot tell anyone no matter what.So, Miss Maria, do you still have any objections?" Surprisingly, Maria found that the conditions offered to her were actuallyx. Anthony''s tone was also neither arrogant nor bossy. Because of this, Maria couldn''t really find a reason to refuse. Besides, she came with Bill to Jade Hotel today with the intention of promising to get engaged to Anthony. "No, I don''t." Eventually, Maria agreed. "I see.That''s good then." Slightly breathing a sigh of relief, Anthony took out his phone. "Let me have your phone number.I''ll add you on WhatsApp." Nodding perfunctorily, Maria also took out her phone. "Is that a new phone?" Anthony asked casually upon seeing her iPhone. "Uh, yes," Maria answered and looked at Anthony''s phone, which seemed to be newly bought as well. Bill didn''t know that Maria already had one, and she also couldn''t take out the phone issued by Heaven in public. Therefore, before they met with Anthony, Bill bought her a phone. Bill wasn''t really being nice to Maria. However, this was going to be the first time that the two would meet each other.It was only expected that Maria at least possessed thetest model of mobile phone to keep up appearances. Maria then added Anthony with her newly registered WhatsApp ount and asked, "Is there anything else you need from me? If none, can I leave now?" "Oh, just onest thing.This is the key to one of my vis.Please keep it with you." With that, Anthony held up a key in front of Maria. "What?" Maria was utterly dumbfounded. Why would he need to give her this? Didn''t he just say that he wouldn''t force her to live with him? Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Yeez Entertainment "Calm down.I just happen to asionally receive guests at home, so it would be ideal if you could also show up from time to time.I need to show people that we are close, you know? Don''t worry.They won''t stay the night, and neither will you." Finding his exnation reasonable, Maria nodded slowly and took the key in front of her. "If there isn''t anything else, may I please excuse myself now?" Maria asked, not a hint of emotion shown on her face. "Yes, of course." This time, Anthony dly let her go. After leaving Jade Hotel, Maria quickly rushed toward her next destination.She didn''t go back to the residence of the Jenkins family since she actually had other ns today. As for Bill, he had already driven away for a while now. He quickly jumped to conclusions and thought that Maria would spend the night in Jade Hotel with Anthony, so he even told Lily not to prepare dinner for her. Meanwhile, at the home office of Yeez Entertainment in Sheffield, an audition for a new TV series was about to go down. Yeez Entertainment was known for being a legendary film and televisionpany. It was established by its well renowned founder, Jeremy Bradley. In fact, thepany started out small and could only shoot short videos with an authorized capital of no more than 500 thousand dors. Back then, in the field of domestic film and television industry, Yeez Entertainment was merely a small studio. However, with Jeremy''s brilliance, it only took him five years to make Yeez Entertainment the leading company in the entire domestic film and television industry. During the past five years, Jeremy had trained more top stars including best actors and best actresses than any of their rivalpanies in the industry. In other peerpanies, one mainstay could already support the wholepany. But in Yeez Entertainment, there were more than a dozen top- ss mainstays. Hence, the quick rise of thepany became inevitable. The Legend of Anne. This was the new TV series that was being talked in the city, and today, Yeez Entertainment was holding its audition. In order to discover new talents, aside from the artists of thepany, they also provided ess for other people outside the organization to take part in the audition. This became a huge sess, because many students from film and acting schools, acting enthusiasts, and online celebrities signed up for the audition. The Legend of Anne was a fantasy TV show. Therefore, the expectations and demands regarding the figure and appearances of the actors and actresses were very high. There were hundreds of thousands of people who had signed up for the audition online. However, about 99% of them were directly screened out, based only on whether they had good looks and charming demeanor. But even though it was the case, there were still more than one thousand people who made it to the actual audition. At this time, a long line was formed in the hall on the first floor of Yeez Entertainment. It even extended outside the hall, and into the streets. "What the hell? Those people are also here for the audition, aren''t they? Do they not know how to follow simple instructions like standing patiently in line? Who on earth do they think they are?" Seeing a few young and beautiful girls directly go to the audition set without waiting in line, a pretty camgirl, who had been in there for a long while, couldn''t help but feel angry. "Shh! Keep your voice down! They are not like us.They are signed actresses of the Yeez Entertainment.They don''t need to fall in line and wait for their turn.We can''t evenpare to them.Don''t you recognize the girl in front? That''s Vivian Jenkins.She has recently starred in an online drama that has be a big hit!" Another girl in line quickly informed the camgirl in a low voice. Yeez Entertainment was known for diligently protecting their artists. Whoever dared make trouble for their assets would definitely face some serious consequences. The pretty camgirl stuck out her tongue and instantly changed her tone. "Oh, that''s Vivian.No wonder she looks very familiar.She''s also wearing such a beautiful costume.I guess it was issued by Yeez Entertainment especially for her.Humph! I even had to buy my costume on my own..." Since the Legend of Anne was a fantasy TV show, everyone came in fancy costumes. Of course, the Yeez Entertainment wouldn''t let their artists wear shoddy costumes that could be bought online. Each piece was custom-made for them to stand out among the crowd. Now, in addition to this camgirl, all the other auditionees couldn''t help but cast envious gazes at Vivian and her co- artists. "Vivian, they''re all staring at us." Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. As they walked past the long line of hopeful auditionees, one of Vivian''s peers noticed that they were being followed by their gaze. Meanwhile, Vivian steadily looked forward and smiled. "Don''t mind them." Ever since she signed with Yeez Entertainment, Vivian had paid more attention to her behavior. She refused to be too friendly with other people and carefully chose who she interacted with. Otherwise, if she associated herself with normal people and even low-ranking stars, it could negatively affect her poprity. In fact, the girl who whispered to her was Sally Miller, a supporting actress in the online drama that Vivian had recently starred in. They had grown quite familiar with each other, but because Vivian was the lead actress on their show, Sally consciously kept her head down and stood and walked behind Vivian whenever they were together. "True, an ugly duckling could turn into a white swan if it dreams it.However, some people will always be just an ugly duckling." While she was talking, Vivian saw a familiar face walking into the hall. Confused, she squinted her eyes to see more clearly.The girl looked a lot like Maria. Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Chapter 18 She Is My Elder Sister Maria arrived at Yeez Entertainment, but she lookedpletely different from the other girls in the waiting hall. They were all wearing costumes to show their best side for the audition, but Maria was wearing a simple white shirt and jeans, which made her look bold but still charming. What was more, every single girl in the hall had to admit that Maria was stunningly beautiful. Some of them would die to have the sleek, long hair that she did. With her delicate features, Maria looked just like an angel. The contrast of her indisputable beauty and her in clothes made her look like the epitome of ssical beauty. "Oh my God, look how pretty that girl is! I feel like I''m looking at Anne Hade, the heroine of the Legend of Anne." "You''re right.I''m straight, but I can''t help drooling over her.The director would be blind not to select her for the role of Anne! You know what, I have half a mind to change my application form now.Looking at this girl, I don''t think I deserve to act as Anne.As long as I can y the role of her maidservant, I''ll be satisfied." "I''m with you on that.I''ll also apply for the role of a maidservant instead!" The women standing in line for the audition chattered among themselves, only half-joking.Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Just moments ago, they had been gushing about Vivian and the other stars signed by Yeez Entertainment, but now, their attention waspletely grabbed by Maria. "Vivian, do you know who that girl is? Is she here for an audition? I think there''s no hope for me," Sally said dejectedly. The truth was, Sally did not dare to tell Vivian that the role she had applied for in the audition was also the heroine of the Legend of Anne. After all, which actress would want to let go of the opportunity to be a top star? In her heart, Sally had always felt that the gap between her and Vivian was not that big, and that there was still a chance for her to catch up with Vivian. But when she saw Maria, it was the first time she realized that there could actually be such a vast disparity in the appearance of people. "Humph! She''s not an actress.She has never even taken a performance ss!" Vivian spoke very fast, as if she was trying to convince both Sally and herself. Taken aback by the harsh response, Sally asked, "Vivian, do you know her?" Vivian nodded. "She is my elder sister.She used to live in the countryside.She went to work in a digital shop as soon as she graduated from high school.Recently, my father brought her back to live with us." Because of the engagement with the Wilson family, the Jenkins family had to publicly proim that Maria was the elder daughter of the family. Only in this way could they eliminate outsiders¡¯ suspicion. Sally''s eyes widened in surprise. "She is your elder sister? And she used to work in a shop? But why does she look...Well, it seems that beauty runs in your family!" What Sally really wanted to say was that Maria looked nothing like Vivian, but she changed her words mid-sentence. "Humph!" Vivian snorted in disdain, but she couldn''t tear her eyes away from Maria. After all, what was Maria even doing here? Did that country girl also dream of being a star? The whispers of all the girls around her made Vivian feel like a huge pressure had been put on her. The entertainment industry was a ce full of real-life miracles. The story of Cindere turning into a princess seemed to happen every few years. When Vivian applied for the role of Anne, she did so with the belief that she stood a chance of winning the part. In fact, the most promising candidate was a female star called Lyndsey Mosby. Lyndsey was a popr actress of Yeez Entertainment. Recently, she had won the Best Actress Award in a famous award ceremony. In terms of acting skills, appearance, reputation, and the size of the fanbase, Lyndsey was in the top ten for sure. Vivian could ept that Lyndsey was better than her, but why did she have to feel stressed after Maria''s arrival? Now, she had a faint feeling that the actress selected for the role of Anne would be either Lyndsey or Maria. Perhaps even Lyndsey was not as suitable for the role as Maria was. "Hello? I''m here.Where are you?" Maria was slightly irritated by all the people staring and whispering about her, so when she spoke on the phone, her tone was cold and impatient. If any of the women around could see Maria''s phone screen right now, they would be shocked to see Jeremy Bradley''s name on it. Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Mia Inside the Yeez Entertainment CEO''s office, there was a girl that looked so alluring.She was so beautiful that she looked like a fairy, especially in her delicate costume. However, despite her appeal, she sat rather inelegantly at the desk with her legs crossed, much like a rascal. "Can''t you behave more like ady, Lyndsey?" At this point, Jeremy, the CEO of Yeez Entertainment, kept massaging his temples with his hand.He seemed awfully frustrated. "If at least one paparazzi snaps a photo of how you carry yourself in private..." Lyndsey knew exactly what he meant, but she didn''t seem to care about it in the slightest. Instead, she smiled at him socently. "Fine, I''ll behave myself...but on one condition.You have to let me y Richard Wentworth!" As if he heard something ridiculous, Jeremy''s eyelids twitched. "You want to be the leading man?! Lyndsey, I need you to be the heroine for this show.If I let you do that, who''s gonna be my female lead?" Upon hearing his protest, Lindsey chuckled enchantingly. "Mr.Bradley...My dear boss, there are more than a thousand beauties downstairs who are desperate to audition for the role.Do you really have the heart to tell them that you''ve already decided on who''s going to be your heroine?" "This always happens in showbiz.They must know how it works, right? The series got so much investment riding on it.I can''t really risk casting a heroine from those who auditioned.I need to entrust this role to someone with a proven track record.Besides, I only held that audition to discover some new talents that are worth cultivating." Jeremy was actually feeling exasperated, but he still forced a smile. "Look.Think of it like the role was written for you.If I give the part to someone else, it''s not gonna be the same.You''re the heroine that the story needs, Lyndsey.Why can''t you be more willing? You can choose whoever you want to y Richard, okay? He doesn''t have toe from ourpany if that''s what you think is best.We''ll get you anyone you want." Even before Jeremy could finish, Lyndsey had already figured out where he was going with his speech. And when he was finally done speaking, she couldn''t help but beam victoriously. "Anyone I want, huh?" "Yes, Lindsey.Whoever you want.You name it." In order to make her ept the role, Jeremy readily gave in and asked Lyndsey almost submissively. Right now, he seemedpletely different from the legendary powerful man in the rumors. "Well, then.I wanna meet Mia." After stating her demand, Lyndsey adorably batted her eyshes and pouted like a child. All of a sudden, she turned into an eager fangirl. Mia was an elite scriptwriter that regrly worked on projects for Yeez Entertainment. She had created many exceptional scripts and novels, that Jeremyter invested in and produced into either movies or TV series. Of course, her works had won various major awards both at home and abroad, and consequently attracted a lot of fans. Everyone in the film and television circle knew that even though Jeremy founded Yeez Entertainment, his sess was greatly attributed to a famous script writer--Mia. Although she was famous, Mia had actually kept her identity secret and never attended any activities of Yeez Entertainment. Even if her script won numerous awards, Jeremy always received them on her behalf.She was so incredibly outstanding that otherpanies in the circle had tried everything they could to poach her. However, despite their earnest efforts over the years, no one got any real information about Mia. Even Jeremy kept his mouth shut about what little he knew about her. Everything she came up with was a masterpiece. As a result, Lyndsey adored her so much that she openly shared about her loyalty to Mia. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. "Y-you...You want to see Mia? Do you really think it''s that simple? Even I have to make an appointment with her.That''s if she even epts!" After saying that, Jeremy felt aggrieved at the sudden realization.His life seemed so pathetic. Although other people didn''t see it, he was actually more like a subordinate than a boss to celebrities like Lyndsey and Mia. "Hey, don''t toy with me." Lyndsey jeered at him and smiled tauntingly. "You might be forgetting about the dinner party held by the Film and Television Associationst week.You were drunk and I had to drive you home, remember?" As stunned as he was, Jeremy tried to remain cool.He nodded and retorted, "Yeah, so? I''m not seeing anyone special, so you wouldn''t find a woman in my house." "Ha!" Lyndsey eximed. "You wish! Anyway, my point is...you''re probably unaware that you spit out gibberish when you''re drunk, right?" "What if I am? Big deal.Everyone tends to do that if they get drunk enough." Although Jeremy tried to discount what she was saying, he figured that something felt wrong. "Well, you see, one thing you blurted out that night was the day Mia was gonnae here to personally submit the script.Joke''s on you, Jeremy.That''s today! Ha-ha-ha!" As though she had presented him with hard evidence, Lyndsey appeared particrly confident as she raised her head and burst intoughter. "I''m just gonna stay here in your office and wait for Mia, okay?" Chapter 20 Chapter 20 Chapter 20 The Best Actress Winner Was A Crazy Fan Maria. Mia. This was the pseudonym she hade up with when writing her first novel. Ever since then, she had been publishing her books under the name Mia. The first time she submitted her novel to Jeremy was as a small token of thanks. Back then, there had been an earthquake in the mountains where her hometown was located. When the earthquake happened, Jeremy happened to be shooting a video nearby. At that time, Yeez Entertainment was just a small unknown studio. Dozens of members of the Jenkins family who lived in the mountains were trapped there because of the earthquake. Jeremy had reacted at once, driving his secondhand van back and forth the wild roads in the mountains. After a whole day and night, he finally saved all the members of the Jenkins family who were trapped. However, because of the bumpy mountain roads, his van was reduced to a pathetic condition. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Maria was there too.She had witnessed everything firsthand. Jeremy stered a smile on his face when epting the eggs and vegetables from the vigers as gifts, but secretly shed tears over the scrapped van. Maria didn''t say anything.She just handed a short novel she had written in her leisure time to Jeremy. Half a yearter, The Mountains was released.It was the first novel adaption film from Yeez Entertainment. Although it was made on a low budget, it swept up almost all the awards in the country that year, including Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, and Best Script at the International Film Festival. Thepany rose to fame overnight and earned a name in the industry. The lead actress in The Mountains was none other than Lyndsey Mosby. "I can''t promise you anything.I have to get permission from Mia first." As soon as Jeremy finished his words, his phone rang. When he nced down at the caller ID, his face changed. "Shit!" Cold beads of sweat began to form on Jeremy''s forehead. Mia wasing today.He was supposed to get her, but he had been held up in his office by Lyndsey. It was only now that he remembered howte he was. "Mi...Mia?" Jeremy answered the phone carefully, gulping. "I''m here.Where are you?" Upon hearing the cold and impatient voice that he was all too familiar with, Jeremy''s heart thumped! He cast an angry nce at Lyndsey and silently gestured for her to give him some privacy. Without Mia''s explicit permission, he couldn''t allow anyone to even eavesdrop on his phone conversations with her. Lyndsey stuck out her tongue, but stepped aside obediently. "Mia, I''m in my office.I actually have something to ask you," Jeremy said in a low voice, covering the phone with his hand. "Oh? What''s the matter?" Hearing that Jeremy was in his office, Maria directly walked towards the elevator banks. There were several elevators in Yeez Entertainment: some for visitors, some for internal employees, and one for the president only. When Vivian noticed Maria walking away, her eyebrows shot up in surprise. It should be Maria''s first timeing here. How did she know which direction the elevators were in? And why was she walking over there in the first ce? Did she n to take the elevator upstairs and directly rmend herself to the top managers of thepany? Vivian''s imagination was not running wild at all, because this scene had happened quite a few times in the past. Yeez Entertainment was still on the rise. Every now and then, there would be a pretentious person who woulde here to rmend themselves. However, there were already a lot of talents in thepany. Those who had great ambition but little talent were basically asking for an insult! On the other hand, Maria, immersed in her phone conversation, didn''t notice that Vivian had been watching her from afar for a long time.She turned a corner and arrived at the elevator banks. Since the auditions for a main role were being held today on the first floor, the hall was lively, but there weren''t many people at the elevatornding. The president''s exclusive elevator could only be operated through fingerprint recognition. Holding her phone to her ear with her left hand, Maria reached out her right index finger and pressed the fingerprint scanner. Beep. The doors of the president''s exclusive elevator opened, and Maria went straight in. After a few seconds, Vivian couldn''t help bute over out of curiosity, but found to her bewilderment that Maria was nowhere to be seen. "Oh? Lyndsey wants to see me? She is going to be the lead actress in the Legend of Anne, right?" After listening to Jeremy''s request, Maria asked casually. "Fine.Maybe she has some questions about the interpretation of the script." The truth was, Maria had never deliberately hidden her identity, but she had never publicized it, either. On the other side of the line, Jeremy nodded at Lyndsey.Thetter covered her mouth with both hands and trembled with excitement. Chapter 21 Chapter 21 Chapter 21 A Misunderstanding "I''m warning you, Lyndsey.Mia is the backbone of ourpany.Be nice and don''t say or do anything stupid, okay?" Afraid that she might displease Maria, Jeremy made sure to advise Lyndsey to be on her best behavior. "I know, I know! Mia''s my super idol.I''ll be good, I swear." "Alright.I''m counting on you." Finally convinced, Jeremy agreed to let her meet Maria.However, he worried about how Lyndsey might react once she found out how old the other woman really was. "Ding dong." A few minutester, the doorbell to the office rang. As a matter of fact, Maria''s fingerprints could unlock any encrypted equipment in Yeez Entertainment, including the safe in the CEO''s office.However, she believed that ringing the doorbell was amon courtesy, so Maria stood outside the door and patiently waited for the door to open. "Is that her? Am I finally gonna meet Mia?!" In her excitement, Lyndsey jumped off the table and fumbled to pat her wrinkled dress.Jeremy could only roll his eyes and shake his head. After all, even if he was her boss, Lyndsey had never taken him seriously before.Not once did she show him proper respect, yet here she was, all ready to behave just because she was about to meet Mia, the famous script writer. "I''ll get the door!" Before Jeremy could even respond, Lyndsey had already darted in front of him.However, when she opened the door, she found a young girl standing outside. "Um..." Lyndsey tilted her head, feeling a little underwhelmed and disappointed. Granted, she didn''t actually know what she was expecting Maria to look like.However, this girl in front of her seemed to be no more than twenty years old and was even dressed so modestly. There was no way this was who they were waiting for, right? In her confusion, Lyndsey found herself studying her face and realized how beautiful the girl was. For an adult who had just turned 27 this year, Lyndsey felt so shocked and amazed that someone this young could look this pretty. A few secondster, she came to her senses. "Sorry, but this is the CEO''s office.Are you here for the audition? The studio''s on the first floor.You can take the elevator down there." "No, I''m not." Maria spoke concisely. "Oh.Are you a fan then? I can give you an autograph or even take a photo with you if you want, but we''ll have to be quick because I''m actually really busy right now, okay?" Lyndsey was known for being nice to her fans. Still, if it weren''t for Maria''s pretty face, Lyndsey wouldn''t have been so patient. Meanwhile, Maria felt lost for words.She wasn''t even fond of talking, but Lyndsey astounded her enough to render herpletely speechless. Instead, she handed her the final script of The Legend of Anne, then walked past her into the office. "What¡ª Hey! Where do you think you''re going? Stop!" Lyndsey was stunned and even felt a little annoyed. Not only did the girl ignore her, she even had the audacity to walk into the CEO''s office without permission. As pretty as she was, Lyndsey thought she was a little rude.She was about to tell Maria off when her eyes suddenly fell on the document in her hand.It took a second before her mind processed what was written on the cover. "W-wait...What?!" Finally, Lyndsey realized what was happening.She quickly turned around only to find Maria already sitting on Jeremy''s chair. At the same time, he was making freshly ground coffee for her. "Please excuse her, Mia.Lyndsey can be a little silly sometimes, but she¡¯s not so bad." Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Jeremy could only smile awkwardly, obviously feeling apologetic for how Lyndsey acted.Today was their first meeting, yet Lyndsey had already shown her entricity to Maria.He couldn''t help but feel embarrassed, not only for her but for himself as well. "I know." Despite their chagrin, Maria was actually still pretty calm and unaffected. After all, from her first short story, "The Mountains", to most of her other works for Yeez Entertainment, it was Lyndsey that was usually cast as the heroine.Besides, if she had a terrible personality, Jeremy wouldn''t be investing in her and trusting her so much. "Ahhh! Y-you''re...Mia?" No longer able to contain her tion, Lyndsey screamed in amazement. "Hello.Nice to meet you." Maria sounded so cool.§Ú¦Ò¦Í???§Ó¦Ò¦Ò§Ü.¡é¦Ò§Þ "You can also call me by my real name, Maria." Since Jeremy hadn''t finished making the coffee, he stood at the side when Maria introduced herself to Lyndsey. However, he didn''t expect that she would actually mention something about herself that personal, so he discreetly wiped the bead of sweat off his temple. When she spoke just now, Jeremy thought her aura was extremely overwhelming.She just casually stated her real name, but there was something in her tone that issued a grave warning. Even without her saying anything, they easily understood that if they dared leak this secret to anyone, they would suffer dire consequences. Slightly trembling, Jeremy turned to Lyndsey. Like him, she was also in a bit of a daze. Then, after a few moments, she couldn''t help but act like a shy school girl. The truth was that she was intimidated by Maria. Lyndsey was several years older, but this young girl was far more aplished than her. "Anyway, why do you want to see me? I understand that the script I sent over earlier is still iplete.Did you have a problem understanding your role because of that?" Maria asked softly, wanting to address any issue right there and then. Hearing this, Lyndsey blushed so hard, feeling very embarrassed.She had always been a loyal fan of Mia, but she didn''t expect that the person she was respecting and idolizing so much was actually just a teenage girl. The novels Maria wrote had extraordinary momentum, far- reaching meaning, and brilliant foreshadowing. How could they be written by someone much younger than her? As a fellow woman, she felt like a failure.§Ú¦Ò¦Í???§Ó¦Ò¦Ò§Ü.¡é¦Ò§Þ Lyndsey couldn''t help but look back at her life, questioning the choices and decisions she made in the past. Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Chapter 22 The Chief Director In the president''s office, Maria began to walk them through the script.She articted the story clearly in an unhurried tone. Through her narration, every character in the script seemed toe alive, turning from words on a page to real people with flesh and blood. When she finally finished her words, she grabbed the mug in front of her and took a sip of coffee. Only then did she notice that the usually stone-faced Lyndsey was dabbing at her tears with a tissue. After crying for a long time, Lyndsey spoke in a solemn tone as if she was making a sacred vow. "Don''t worry, Mia.I''ll y the role of Anne well and won''t let you down." Jeremy, who was standing aside, couldn''t help but roll his eyes secretly. Didn''t Lyndsey just tell him that she wanted to y the role of the leading man? How could she change her mind so soon? Unbothered by Jeremy''s reaction, Lyndsey sat upright like a primary school student and raised her hand to ask Maria questions about the script and the characters. Meanwhile, Jeremy carefully took notes, sighing appreciatively every once in a while at how deep and detailed Maria''s exnations were.§Ú¦Ò¦Í???§Ó¦Ò¦Ò§Ü.¡é¦Ò§ÞHer storytelling was so immersive that Jeremy even believed that he could now personally direct this y. "Transfer the payment for the script to my designated bank ount within three days.If there is nothing else, I''ll take my leave now," Maria said indifferently. "Okay, no problem!" Jeremy replied. Then, after a moment, he added, "How about I send you a list of promising candidates after today''s audition? You can have a look first and then we can decide the actors for each role together." Jeremy had the final say on Yeez Entertainment''s affairs.No one in thepany dared to question his authority. But if he had the opportunity, he would dly hand over thepany to Maria and be her loyal follower. Jeremy''s words ignited Lyndsey''s excitement in an instant. Nodding fervently, she suggested, "The auditions are on the first floor.Why don''t you go and take a look now? It''s better to watch them in person than read thementster." Maria had never interfered in the management of Yeez Entertainment before. The casting of The Legend of Anne had never even registered in her mind as an important event. However, it just so happened that her schedule for today waspletely free, apart from the "date" with Anthony.§Ú¦Ò¦Í???§Ó¦Ò¦Ò§Ü.¡é¦Ò§Þ Since the engagement with Anthony was maintained, she was more or less idle now. "Okay, why not? I just so happen to be free," Maria agreed. Shoving his surprise aside, Jeremy hurriedly said, "Please wait a moment.I will inform the audition staff to arrange the main seat for you!" The author of the story was personally going to the casting spot.Who was more qualified to sit in the main seat other than her? Even Jeremy wasn''t more qualified, let alone the director of the crew. "Don''t bother.I''ll just stand in a corner and watch," Maria said firmly, shaking her head. Only then did it ur to Jeremy that Mia always kept a low profile.He med himself for being so careless. "Got it.Please wait a moment.I''ll call the director and ask him to let you in." The director of The Legend of Anne, Francis Jackson, was the most experienced director in Yeez Entertainment. Many film and television schools around the country had appointed him as a lifelong honorary professor. Francis was sixty years old already.He used to be an obscure director of avant-garde films.It was not until he signed a contract with Yeez Entertainment and directed The Mountains, the novel adaptation of Maria''s first novel, that he had be a household name. However, Francis had no idea who the legendary Mia really was or how she looked. "Hello, Francis.Are you at the audition?" Jeremy asked on the phone. "I''m sending someone over there.She wants to observe the casting process.Just let her in and do whatever she wants.Don''t disturb her, understand?" A flicker of unhappiness crossed Francis''s eyes.He was a stubborn man.His pursuit of the art of filming bordered on madness. And there was nothing Francis hated more than the hidden rules of the entertainment industry. When he directed a movie, he would make every decision from an artistic perspective. Words like favoritism and nepotism were not in his dictionary. When he heard Jeremy''s ambiguous words on the phone, he immediately assumed that there was some actress who wanted to bypass the audition and get a role in The Legend of Anne. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. "Fine, send her over," Francis said coldly. "However, Mr.Bradley, I have to let you know in advance that I have my own standards of casting for each role.Don''t think of forcing me to cast any Dick and Harry you want.You''d have to fire me before you do that!" Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Chapter 23 At The Audition Hearing this, Jeremy smiled bitterly. "Francis, what nonsense are you talking about? Am I really that kind of person in your eyes?" Although his tone was sharp, he felt aggrieved. Not only was he the president of thepany, but he had also been working together with Francis for several years. Why was there no tacit trust and understanding between them? However, Francis remained unmoved. He clucked his tongue and said, "I''m not going to be your puppet.I have read the script of The Legend of Anne more than twenty times! It can be said that my understanding of this story is only second to that of Mia herself.It is a masterpiece that will be recorded in the history of literature.I won''t allow anyone to desecrate my adaptation of The Legend of Anne!" Without waiting for a reply, Francis hung up the phone in a huff. Jeremy had been talking on speaker phone, so both Maria and Lyndsey had heard the whole conversation. Maria was expressionless as usual, but Lyndsey was stunned. Francis...was really a badass director! He even dared to retort to the president of thepany he worked for. No wonder he used to be jobless for a long time. "I''m sorry, Mia.Francis''s just..."§Ú¦Ò¦Í???§Ó¦Ò¦Ò§Ü.¡é¦Ò§Þ Jeremy shrugged, feeling embarrassed.He wished that he could turn back time and stop himself from having that conversation on speaker phone. "You don''t have to apologize," Maria said calmly. "Francis is right.He is a good director." Then, she stood up to leave.Even though Jeremy wanted to go with her, he simply nodded and hung back. After all, if Maria walked into the audition room followed by the president of Yeez Entertainment himself, it would cause disorder among the candidates.Lyndsey didn''t seem to be as careful as him, because she stood up as well and followed Maria closely. "Where are you going?" Jeremy interrupted, ring at her. "Don''t make trouble for Mia." Lyndsey was an A-list actress now dressed in an eye-catching outfit. If she went to the audition hall like this, it would definitely cause a sensation! Maria cocked an eyebrow at the famous actress, curious to see her reaction. "Don''t worry, Mia.I am a master of disguise.I canpletely transform my look in just five minutes.When I''m done, even my own mother won''t recognize me!" Lyndsey promised in a hurry.Now that she had finally met Mia, she didn''t want to let go of this opportunity to be familiar with her. "Okay, I''ll wait for you." Maria nodded.§Ú¦Ò¦Í???§Ó¦Ò¦Ò§Ü.¡é¦Ò§Þ Seeing how kind and understanding her idol was, Lyndsey was overjoyed. Lyndsey''s private dressing room was on the same floor as the CEO''s office, so she hurried over there and changed her whole outfit. Sure enough, it only took her five minutes toplete her disguise. Maria was surprised to see the famous actress return in a hip- hop outfit. Lyndsey was wearing a varsity jacket and jeans, paired with a baseball cap and sneakers. She had put on foundation that was two shades darker than her naturalplexion, and filled in her delicate eyebrows to look thick and dashing, both of which gave her a masculine vibe. The top half of her face was covered by her fringe and the brim of her cap. At first nce, she looked like just another handsome young man who hade to audition. Maria gave a silent nod of approval before saying, "I don¡¯t know where the audition hall is.You can lead the way." "My pleasure!" Beaming from ear to ear, Lyndsey led Maria towards the audition hall. A few minutester, the two of them arrived at the doors of the hall, where two security guards were stationed. Obviously, the security guards must have received word of Maria''s arrival, because they let her and Lyndsey in without so much as asking a question. When Maria followed Lyndsey into the audition hall, she saw a line of desks near the wall. Francis and several assistant directors were sitting there, grading the actors who hade to audition. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. "Francis, these two are...?" A new assistant director turned to Francis and asked in a low voice.He didn''t know Maria, nor did he recognize Lyndsey. Francis was so stunned by the sight in front of him that he barely even heard the question.He didn''t look at Lyndsey at all; his attention waspletely fixed on Maria, and he found that he couldn''t take his eyes off of her. "They are...They are here for an audition," Francis finally said with aplicated expression on his face. Just now, he had talked back to Jeremy and warned him that he wouldn''t allow anyone to get through the backdoor. Moreover, he didn''t intend to give a woman who would use such tricks the chance to audition in the first ce. But now, he had changed his mind. As soon as Francis set eyes on Maria, he knew that she was the one he was looking for.She was Anne Hade! Chapter 24 Chapter 24 Chapter 24 The Director Is Very Upset The auditions were held in a dance studio inside thepany that was over a thousand square feet in size.Theminated wooden floor was smooth and t. The panel of judges sat at the end of the room, in front of the wall.The other three walls of the studio werepletely covered with mirrors. Francis was watching the auditions with a long face. Actors walked up to the center of the room one after another and gave it their best shot, but none of their performances seemed to move the director. Francis''s face was so gloomy that some of the actors waiting in line wanted to quit right there and then. "I''ve heard that Mr.Jackson is the strictest director in the industry, but I didn''t expect him to be so scary..." "I know, right? The actress who just auditioned, Rita, won the Best Supporting Actress awardst year.I mean, to me it looked like she did a good job, but Mr.Jackson didn''t seem pleased at all.How could he not be impressed with her performance?" "Exactly! I''m still a student, and my acting skills are nowhere near Rita''s.I definitely have no hope.I''d better quit..." Tensions were on edge, and the actors in line whispered worriedly among themselves. Some of the more timid ones quietly decided to quit. By this time, Francis was quite vexed.He was waiting to see the audition of the actress rmended by Jeremy. Usually, people who wanted to get in through the back door would take the initiative to make a good impression on the director bying up to him and requesting for an audition in a ttering tone. Unfortunately, Maria did no such thing. Every now and then, Francis stole a nce at her out of the corner of his eye and found that she was just appreciating the performance of the other actors, as if she was a serious audience member or a professional judge. It was the same for the handsome young man standing next to her.§Ú¦Ò¦Í???§Ó¦Ò¦Ò§Ü.¡é¦Ò§Þ Aside from asionally whisperingments on the performance of the actors, he didn''t take any action. "Why hasn''t she asked me for a chance to audition yet?" Francis murmured moodily. He had watched countless actors audition since morning, but he still hadn''t found a suitable actress for the lead role. In fact, Jeremy had already hinted to Francis long ago that he should cast Lyndsey again for the lead role, which was not a bad idea. However, as a director who constantly pursued perfection, Francis still nursed hope that he could find an actress who was born to y the part of Anne Hade.It was only when Maria walked in that Francis found the woman who matched his expectations, at least in terms of appearance and temperament, to y the part of Anne. "If her acting skill is better than her appearance...No...As long as she has been trained in professional acting...No...As long as she has the willingness to learn, I can teach her slowly..." As the auditions droned on and Francis grew increasingly dissatisfied with the actors in front of him, he lowered his requirements for Maria again and again. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. In the end, Francis decided that as long as Maria worked hard and wanted to learn, then even if she was a neer who had never been trained in acting before, he would cast her for the lead role and personally teach her everything she needed to know about acting. While Francis was burning with anxiety, Maria seemed to be blissfully unaware of it. There were even several times when Francis noticed Maria ncing at the door with her toes pointed towards it. In order to improve his craft, Francis had studied a bit of psychology. Judging by Maria''s stance, he knew that she wanted to leave already. But how could she leave? No way! She hadn''t even changed into a costume and given her audition yet! Francis was really frustrated. When was this youngdy going to begin her performance? Didn''t she want to get in through the back door? What was she waiting for? Did she perhaps get scared after hearing Francis¡¯ phone call with Jeremy just now? "Lyndsey, there are many actors who did a good job just now.I think they''re suitable for some of the supporting roles in the show.Please give this name list to Jeremy and Mr.Jackson for their reference." After stepping into the studio, Maria had watched the auditions of more than a hundred actors. Some of them were actors signed to Yeez Entertainment, some of them were experienced actors from otherpanies, and the rest were neers with great potential. Although none of them were good enough to be cast as the protagonists, Maria found a lot of them to be suitable to y the distinct supporting roles. Every time Maria mentioned an actor''s name and their possible corresponding role in the y, Lyndsey immediately made a note of it on her phone. While listening to Maria''s judgment, Lyndsey was secretly ecstatic. In her heart, she couldn''t help but squeal, "Mia is awesome!" Chapter 25 Chapter 25 Chapter 25 Vivian''s Audition "Vivian, it''s your turn now.I wish you good luck!" Sally, who had just finished her audition, could easily tell from Francis¡¯ facial expression that she blew her chance to take the heroine''s part. Although disappointed, she epted that she had to improve her skills more. This time, it was Vivian''s turn. Unlike the others, she had a confident smile on her face. Seeing this, Sally thought that this must be one of the reasons why there was a big gap between her and Vivian.She was only able to y a supporting role in the previous online show because she still lacked confidence in herself. "Thank you, Sally.I will try my best to get that part," Vivian replied with a smile, feeling happy in her heart that people were rooting for her. During thispetition for the female lead, she believed that her sole strong opponent was Lyndsey, the popr actress on Yeez Entertainment.But to her surprise, she hadn''t seen Lyndsey yet. Was she not going to audition? Was she not interested to be Anne? Vivian was still an average-level actress on Yeez Entertainment, and she had only starred in an online TV show. On the other hand, Lyndsey already did so many hit movies and shows. At this time, she knew that she wasn''t qualified topete with Lyndsey yet. Today was the allotted time to audition for The Legend of Anne. If Lyndsey wanted to be a part of it, she should be here.However, she was nowhere to be found. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Vivian''s biggestpetitor wasn''t here. Was it God''s will to fulfill her wish? Trying her best to hide her smile, Vivian thought that it was her time to really rise to fame.She couldn''t help trembling in excitement. Finally, her name was called. Vivian''s dress was indeed attention-grabbing.She wore a gorgeous purple court dress that would make heads turn wherever she passed by. This dress was actually above thepany''s standards for auditioning costumes.But since Vivian paid the rental fee herself, the director of the clothing department made an exception to lend it to her. In addition to the stunning dress, Vivian wore a turquoise ne and an exquisite pair of diamond earrings.She spent more than two hundred thousand dors for these jewelries just for this audition. Compared with Vivian, the other actresses who came looked like they were auditioning for minor roles. The difference in extravagance was huge. As her gaze swept among the crowd, Vivian felt more confident.She felt that she really deserved to be the heroine.She then raised her head and walked proudly toward the judges. The scene she was going to reenact was from a ssic episode of the show. The king, Richard, had just made an engagement with Anne, who was amoner. After learning this, Paul, who coveted the throne for a long time, used Richard of viting the Royal ban and proposed to depose Richard. In the process of doing so, Paul used and ridiculed Richard in front of everyone. Just because Anne came from a humble family, he didn''t take her seriously at all. However, Paul underestimated Anne.She then proceeded to beat him up in front of all the royalties. Then, Richard stood and defended Anne with his sheer eloquence. After skillfully justifying her behavior for beating Paul, she was absolved from any punishment. This specific scene truly had an extremely cheerful and breath- taking mood. In particr, Anne''s forthrightness and strength, and Richard''s eloquence and astuteness were the sole essences of the whole y. Now, Vivian would have to act this scene alone.She had to convince the directors that she could give justice in showing Anne''s anger and frankness. She should deliver a few short lines ad lib and then exhibit her fighting skills to prove that she could y the role of this powerful girl. In fact, Vivian didn''t have prior knowledge of any martial arts or fighting skills, but she took a few lessons in dancing before. And just recently, she hired a teacher to train her for fighting scenes.It seemed she was well prepared for this audition. However, when she was about to start her performance, she suddenly saw a girl, who looked a lot like Maria, standing in the corner of the studio. At the same time, a seemingly handsome young man stood next to her. Was that really Maria? But what was she doing here? She shouldn''t have any qualifications to be where the staff and the directors were. Vivian furrowed her brows in confusion.§Ú¦Ò¦Í???§Ó¦Ò¦Ò§Ü.¡é¦Ò§Þ Maria was only standing a few meters away from Francis Jackson, the main director who judged those who were auditioning. How long had she been standing there, and what was she doing in this ce to begin with? More importantly, who allowed her to stay there? Was she actually working for Yeez Entertainment? It couldn''t be! But that wasn''t the only reason why Vivian was perplexed. Since she signed with the Yeez Entertainment, she hadn''t even said a word to Francis Jackson. However, the director kept stealing nces at Maria from time to time, as if he was very concerned about her. On the contrary, Maria was just watching the auditionees,pletely ignoring him.It was really hard for Vivian to figure out what was going on. She kept racking her brain, but she couldn''t think of anything. Because she was so distracted, she didn''t notice that she had already been standing there motionlessly for a long time. Chapter 26 Chapter 26 Chapter 26 How Long Do You Want Me To Wait Francis was feeling dejected because he had set his eyes on Maria to y the role, but she still hadn''t come over and asked for an audition. All the while, he had been casting quick nces at her even though there was an auditionee in front of him. When he finally took a break from stressing over the girl, he tried to focus on his job. Only then did he find that the actress who was supposed to have begun her performance was still standing motionless onstage. As a director, he thought that maybe she got stage fright. Francis had been in the entertainment industry for many years.He had already seen, watched, and cast lots of actors, so he found it pretty normal for people to feel jittery at times like this.He used to feel impatient with actors who couldn''t perform on cue. If it was still in the past, he already would have rejected this girl outright and driven her out. However, he had decided to be a little more amodating and change his attitude to create a new, amiable image and impress Maria.That way, he could probably encourage her willingness to audition for Anne. "It seems you''re not ready yet.Anyway, you''re still young.You''ll have plenty more opportunities in the future." N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. It was the first time that Vivian had heard Francis talk directly to her.He sounded so nice and even had a smile on his face. There was only one thing that bothered her.Her audition hadn''t even started, yet it felt like it was already over. "No...Mr.Jackson, I really¡ª"§Ú¦Ò¦Í???§Ó¦Ò¦Ò§Ü.¡é¦Ò§Þ Before Vivian could even plead, she saw Francis shaking his head. One of the things that years of experience in the field had taught him was that once newbies like her got stage fright, they would have a hard time getting into the character within an hour, much less a few minutes. They would only be wasting both her time and his if they waited for her to get ready. Now, Francis tried his best to present her with an amiable appearance in case he ended up scaring his prospective Anne away. The problem was, the assistant director next to him wasn''t so kind.He only red at Vivian for wasting their time. "You may go." After coldly telling her to leave, he looked at the staff by the door. "Call in the next one!" Of course, Vivian''s face flushed with embarrassment. She knew this man had a high position in Yeez Entertainment, but he had also been working as an executive assistant director for Francis for several years. They were a highly distinguished pair in the industry. Because of this, Vivian didn''t dare to offend him.She left rather woodenly with tears about to fall from her eyes. The other actors who had seen her were so surprised that Vivian had stage fright. However, Sally was even more dumbfounded and could only look at her in disbelief. "That''s okay, Vivian. Maybe next time, right? I''m sure you''ll get another chance." Deep in her heart, Sally actually struggled to keep herself fromughing out.She might have tried to comfort Vivian by saying she could try again next time, but that was a rose-colored belief. After all, the show business was cruel. If an actor experienced stage fright in merely an audition, news would travel and their future opportunities would likely be limited. "What''s Maria even doing here? Ugh! She distracted me by standing there.Now, I won''t get the part!" After leaving the audition studio, Vivian couldn''t help but mutter under her breath while she headed to the dressing room to remove her makeup and change her clothes.She nursed deep hatred for Maria by the second. Bill was waiting at home for some good news from her audition. After what happened, how would she be able to face her parents? Meanwhile, at the audition studio, hundreds of hopefuls had finished their auditions one after another. It had been a tedious morning, so they took a half-time break. Francis looked behind him and saw that the man with a baseball cap was whispering to Maria, who only responded from time to time. "He looks familiar," Francis murmured. Even so, he still couldn''t quite ce him. As he watched the girl, he found that she was looking at the door more and more frequently.He reckoned she could be leaving soon, so Francis started panicking. "I can''t let her go without seeing her audition!" Francis faked a dry cough and finally put down his air, and then he took the initiative to approach them. "Hey, Mr.Jackson! What a morning, huh?" When he came over, Lyndsey greeted him with a smile and a yful wink. "Lyndsey?" The director was clearly stunned.He didn''t expect that the handsome young man under the cap was actually Lyndsey. However, his mind was a mess, and he couldn''t care much about the fact.He came to them for something else, so he had to focus on that. Right now, it didn''t matter to him so much that Lyndsey was already an excellent award-winning actress. He had even seen hundreds of candidates try for the role today, but none of them couldpare to this girl standing next to Lyndsey. She was the perfect female lead for the show! Francis couldn''t help but stare at her intently. "Well, Miss..." Standing in front of Maria, Francis looked a little perturbed. After furtively heaving a sigh, he let out an ingratiating smile before finally speaking his mind. "How long will I have to wait?" Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Chapter 27 The Audition Of Maria "You are...Waiting for me?" Maria looked at the director in confusion, not really knowing what was going on. Hearing this, Francis could only sigh and pull a long face.He had a reputation in the industry as a known veteran and a multi-awarded director. Now that he already swallowed his pride just to take the initiative to invite this girl to audition, why did she still try to act dumb? "Fine.Yes, I am.Now, there''s a dressing room right next door.There are a total of thirty-two sets of costumes for Anne.I want you to wear all of them and show me how they fit on you, okay?" With a solemn face, Francis added, "I know performing Anne''s part means a lot of pressure.Put your game face onter.Don''t make the efforts of my other colleagues be in vain!" In ys like this, the first ones who could achieve great sess were granted the lead parts. Since the Legend of Anne had a wonderful script, major investment and a world-famous director, this was the perfect stepping stone for an aspiring actress to rise to fame. Upon hearing his demands, Maria furrowed her brows and thought about it seriously.However, it turned out that she got it all wrong. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Obviously, she was being asked to do an audition, but she actually assumed that Francis wanted her to demonstrate how Anne''s part should be portrayed.She supposed that since she was yet to hand over the entire script to him, he might be having a hard time visualizing each character''s role. Therefore, Francis must be asking for her help to get some pointers. Thinking that his request was necessary for the sess of the show, Maria had a hard time refusing him. "Alright.Let me change into the costumes first," Maria said calmly and innocently. On the other hand, Lyndsey blinked her eyes repeatedly, noticing that Francis and Maria didn''t realize that they had fallen into a big misunderstanding. However, she didn''t say anything to clear things up. After all, she imagined that things should get much more interesting this way. This was such a rare opportunity. Maria herself would perform the heroine''s part, wearing those enchanting costumes. How exciting this must be! The crew of the show spent a fortune to meticulously design thirty-two sets of costumes for Anne''s role. Once the actress who would y the character was finally selected, they would tailor them ording to her actual build and figure. It was said that the designs of these costumes were intricately based and patterned to the description of the heroine''s clothes in the novel. Therefore, Lyndsey could already imagine how stunning Maria would appear the moment she went on stage wearing them. The more she thought about it, the giddier she became. She didn''t care if this was a mere misunderstanding. The important thing was she could witness this breathtaking scene with her very own eyes. Lyndsey was so fascinated with Maria to the point that she actually wanted to act as the main hero, Richard, and y as her lover. "Please wait a moment.I''ll be back soon." Maria left for the dressing room without any suspicions at all. "Yes! Yes! Take your time.We''ll be waiting for you!" Francis nodded eagerly, showing a very satisfied smile. At the same time, he asked a professional female dresser to assist Maria. After all, those costumes were tooplicated for someone who had not seen them before to wear them on their own. However, when Maria saw the woman following her, she gently shook her head. "It''s okay.I''m familiar with those clothes, so I can put them on myself." Maria spoke steadily. There was no arrogance in her tone, but her confidence was genuine. Overhearing this, Francis¡¯ smile became bigger, crossing his arms over his chest.He was right about this girl. Not only was her appearance perfect, but it seemed that she had also done some preparations for this audition. "Excellent!" With such a fine attitude and dedication, Francis was sure that she would be a splendid actress in no time.He was so thrilled to see how she would look in the costumes that he felt she had been gone for so long, but in reality it had only been a few minutes. All of a sudden, an uproar reverberated in the studio. When he turned his head, Francis felt as though he was dreaming that the Anne he had envisioned in his head hade to life and was slowly walking toward him. The moment Maria reached the center of the studio, everyone fell silent. They couldn''t help but admire the magnificence that stood before them.She had absolutely embodied the enchanting character of Anne. In fact, the costume that Maria donned only appeared in the first scene¡ªthe birthday banquet. It revolved around Richard''s birthday banquet where Anne would perform a dance for him. Indeed, the costume designers seemed to have done a really good job since they perfectly reproduced the outfit as they were described in the script.It was sublime. However, the script didn''t mention anything about the shoes that Anne wore in the scene, so the costume designers came up with several options. The only problem left was that none of them satisfied Francis. At this point, everyone''s eyes gravitated towards her shoes, only to find that she apparently paired her perfect costume with bare feet. Every time she moved around and touched the ground on her tiptoe, her lissome bearing ended up charming everyone.It was actually much more befitting for Anne''s character since Maria really wrote this scene with a vision that she danced at the banquet with bare feet. "That''s it! Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!" Francis shouted as if he had a light- bulb moment. What kind of shoes did Anne wear when she danced in this scene? This was a mystery that bothered him for along time. The script didn''t mention anything about it, but it also didn''t specify that she wore nothing. But when he saw how Maria interpreted this scene, he didn''t expect that the issue could be instantly solved this way. Now, everything fell right into ce.It was perfect. As a matter of fact, Francis had never been so satisfied before. At the same time, the other actresses, who were yet to audition, immediately saw Maria as the biggest hindrance for them in getting cast for the role. But nheless, they stared at her, marveling at her gracefulness. Most of them were dumbfounded by her charm, while some focused on the fear that they might lose to her. Then, there were also some who instantly thought of taking their phones out to secretly take a photo of Maria. However, their positions didn''t allow them to capture her photo from a good angle. In the end, they could only get a shot of Maria¡¯s back and the side of her face. Chapter 28 Chapter 28 Chapter 28 She Is Mia "Mr.Jackson...She is not wearing any shoes.What''s going on?" Coincidentally, the chief costume designer was also at the scene.So, when Maria came out without any shoes on, heined in a low voice. Although he was a man, he was also good at women¡¯s fashion. In fact, he was one of the best in this field.But his credentials didn''t matter to Francis. Upon hearing the designerin, he pped him on the back of his head. "Can''t you see? She didn''t have to wear a pair.Everything you designed wasn''t necessary for this particr scene! Now, move along.We have urgent business to do!" Completely ignoring the costume designer, Francis yelled, "Is the script holder here? Record this right away! During the birthday banquet scene where the heroine dances, she will do it with bare feet.I want a close- up shot, understand? From long shot to close-up!" While doing the graceful choreography, Maria amazed everyone. But to her, this didn''t mean anything.She was just doing what she thought was necessary. After the scene, like an emotionless robot, she quickly returned to the dressing room and came back to the studio, wearing another set of costumes just as Francis instructed earlier. Every time Maria went out with a different set of costumes, everyone was mesmerized.They couldn''t fathom how she was effortlessly bringing Anne''s character to life.However, after a while, she suddenly felt a little sleepy.It was an indication that her narcolepsy was about to attack again.Maria thought that she had already given Francis enough pointers, so her job here was done. Before something unexpected happened again, it would be better if she could get out of there. This disease was most probably caused by a trauma she experienced as a child. It could be a kind of defense mechanism that her body was exhibiting. After all, sleeping was also a way of protecting oneself. In some dangerous situations, falling into aa or losing consciousness was kind of ast resort for the body not to feel pain. Maria couldn''t fully remember what exactly caused her condition because for as long as she could remember, she already suffered from this disease. Hence, she guessed that the traumatic incident might have happened even before her first birthday. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Therefore, all throughout her life, her narcolepsy brought so many inconveniences. When she lived in the countryside, her rtives who knew of her condition thought that taking care of her was very troublesome. After living with her for some time, they would try to find an excuse to give her away to their other rtives. Maria grew tired of this living situation, so when she reached a certain age, thinking that she could already live on her own, she did it without any hesitation. Meanwhile, Maria had finished changing back into her jeans and white shirt. Aftering out of the dressing room, she went to see Francis. "I have other appointments, so I have to go now." Hearing this, Francis couldn''t stop furrowing his brows in confusion. "You''re leaving? What''s so important that you have to cut your audition short? At least sign the contract first before you leave!" Although Francis was so sure that Maria was the one he wanted to act in the main heroine''s role, he somewhat found her rather strange. Sign a contract? These words obviously made Maria confused. At this point, Lyndsey, who was just standing aside, confirmed what was happening.She already had a hunch earlier, but now she was sure.It was partly her fault that this misunderstanding hade this far. "Um...I''m actually not an actress," Maria replied. It seemed that she was also starting to realize what really was going on. On the other hand, Francis smiledcently. "Yes, I know.I have good eyes, so I can see that you didn''t study in the film academy or had any formal acting training.Am I right?" Maria nodded lightly. "Well, it doesn''t matter!" Francis patted his chest, letting out a very confident grin. "Not to brag, but I''m the director you would want to mold you.I will teach you everything you need to know about acting!" "Ahem!" Lyndsey wanted to butt in, in order to clear up this misunderstanding. However, before she could speak, Francis nced at her and said, "Lyndsey, how about you act the supporting role?" With his eyes gleaming like a child, he didn''t even hesitate to ask Lyndsey, the Best Actress winner of Yeez Entertainment, to y a supporting role. Only Francis, the chief director, could make such an unreasonable request and not mind it. Of course, Lyndsey wasn''t offended at all. In fact, she would be d if the director could really convince Maria to y the leading role. When Maria had totally figured out what was going on, she had to stop it at once. "Mr.Jackson, you misunderstood something.I''m not here to audition.I am Mia, the author of the Legend of Anne.I just thought that you wanted some input from me, so I helped you try out the costumes.Anyway, I really have something else to do.Please excuse me." Her eyes were getting so heavy that she was in an urgent need of a bed to have a good sleep. Fortunately, Jade Hotel was just around the corner, and she thought that it would be a good choice to take a rest. Without waiting for Francis¡¯ reply, Maria left the studio in a hurry.Francis was left standing there utterly confused, while Lyndsey seemed to be quite disappointed. "Lyndsey, did I hear it correctly? Did she just say that she''s actually Mia?" Francis even doubted that he was getting so old that he might be having some auditory hallucinations. The author of the Legend of Anne? That Mia?! The novels and short stories written by Mia were all masterpieces that Francis loved so much. He never thought that those ingeniousnguages, astonishing plots, and brilliant foreshadowing were written by someone who was basically a teenager. How could it be possible? He thought that it was just a prank. But then Lyndsey finally broke the silence. "Mr.Jackson, about your offer earlier, I''m willing to take the supporting role if you can really convince Mia to act Anne''s character.Good luck!" Lyndsey revealed a yful smile, but her tone was indeed serious. After saying that, she also left the studio quickly. Eventually, after being in a daze for quite some time, Francis came to his senses. As if in a panic, he dialed the number of the president of Yeez Entertainment, Jeremy. "Jeremy! I mean...Mr.Bradley." Francis was actually more than ten years older than Jeremy. So, in private, he was addressing the CEO by his given name. Without further ado, he said, "! will direct the Legend of Anne for free if you can do your best to persuade Mia herself to be the heroine.What do you say? It''s a good deal!" After saying what he wanted, Francis heard a deep sigh on the other end of the line. "Francis, just call me Jeremy.That''s what you always did." "Okay...I will.But what''s your answer?" "Well, give up on this unrealistic idea.It will never happen." Then, Jeremy hung up the phone, not giving Francis a chance to negotiate further. Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Narcolepsy Attack In Jade Hotel. Maria walked into the hotel lobby, but didn''t stop to check in at the reception desk. With her eyesight blurred, she staggered towards the elevator. Standing in front of the private elevator meant for the top VIP members of the hotel, Maria took out a ck card and hurriedly shed it in front of the sensor. With a soft beep, the elevator doors opened, and Maria stumbled inside. Sweating profusely, she leaned against the wall. The elevator doors closed automatically and began to move upward, without the need for pressing any buttons. Jade Hotel was a global chain of hotels with the sameyout and structure in every one of their buildings. The top floor of the hotel exclusively housed suites for the VIP members. These deluxe suites were all neatly and elegantly decorated in the same style in all of their buildings. Therefore, Jade Hotel''s customers could check in to any of their hotels in the world at any time without feeling unfamiliar. "L...Lean''t hold on any longer.I need the remedy soon..." This was thest thought in Maria''s mind before she staggered into her suite and copsed on the thick imported cashmere carpet on the floor without even closing the door behind her.It was a shame that she was less six feet from thefortable bed.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. On the same floor were several other top VIP suites. A few minutester, the door of the opposite suite to Maria''s swung open. A man sitting in a wheelchair frowned as he looked at the woman lying unconscious on the carpet in the opposite room. "Mr.Wilson, isn''t this a cheap scheme? That woman seems to be some female star who booked the suite opposite yours and pretended to faint in order to seduce you," a bodyguard in a ck suit commented in a hollow voice. He couldn''t help but cluck his tongue in disapproval. In order to seduce Mr.Wilson, this woman who was pretending to be unconscious must have spent almost her entire life savings on booking this top suite. "Mr.Wilson, shall we contact the hotel manager and arrange for someone to deal with this matter?" the bodyguard asked. Anthony stayed silent for a moment.He recognized the worn jeans and in white shirt at once. Almost everyone who came to Jade Hotel would dress up as if they were big celebrities who were going to walk the red carpet. Even the hotel staff would not wear such simple clothes. Only she... "Jack, inform the hotel staff to block this floor and forbid anyone froming up here," Anthony ordered.He had many bodyguards working specially for him. Among them, Jack and J were the most experienced and powerful. They were also his trusted confidants. "Yes, Mr.Wilson," Jack said carefully. He thought that Anthony was angry at the woman and nned to teach her a lesson. But the next second, he was shocked to see Anthony standing up from the wheelchair! Was Anthony going to shed his disguise in front of this woman? Ignoring the surprised look on Jack''s face, Anthony walked right into Maria''s open suite. Crouching down by her side, he observed her condition carefully. "She seems to be sleeping," he murmured in confusion. Judging by the open door and the way she was sleeping on the carpet instead of the bed, Anthony figured that Maria was either drugged or afflicted with some obscure disease. Even though she was only asleep, he did not feelfortable leaving her alone here in case she suffered from anyplications. Thinking of this, he picked up Maria in his arms. To his surprise, she was much lighter than he had expected. In fact, she was so light that he even suspected that she was starving herself in an attempt to lose weight. Anthony carried Maria into his suite,y her down on the bed, and covered her with a thin nket. "Jack, call Mr.Carter here," he said without taking his eyes off of Maria. For a moment, Jack froze in astonishment. Rich families inevitably knew the top medical experts in the country. When even ordinary people cherished their lives, rich people had no qualms about spending a lot of money in order to receive the best care possible. By Mr.Carter, Anthony was referring to Christopher Carter, a leading authority in the medical field. A year ago, he had retired from medical school, but it was said that he had been recruited by a mysterious scientific research institute in Sheffield. The Wilson family didn''t have a close rtionship with Christopher, but Anthony was his friend. It was for the sake of their friendship that Christopher had agreed to be the attending doctor of Anthony''s grandfather. Nevertheless, Jack couldn''t believe that Anthony was calling Christopher over just for the sake of a strange woman.It was incredible! Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Christopher Carter Christopher Carter soon arrived at Anthony''s suite.He was an odd-looking old man.He was thin and tall, with narrow eyes and a hooked nose. Every time Jack saw Christopher, he felt that this ugly old man looked more like a viin from a superhero movie than a leading authority in the medicalmunity. Christopher smiled a lot, but his smile usually only made him look weirder, as if he was nning something evil. "Ha-ha, Anthony, it''s rare enough for you to call me over.I didn''t expect the patient to be a young girl this time.What, are you finally nning to get married?" Christopher teased as he strode into the VIP suite, led by Jack. Then, looking at the man seated in the wheelchair, he burst intoughter and continued, "Why are you still sitting there? Do you want to pretend to be disabled in front of me? There is no need." Anthony was holding a phone and staring off into space, immersed in his own thoughts.It was not until he heard Christopher''s voice that he came to his senses. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. As he stood up to greet his guest, he gently put the phone down next to Maria''s pillow.It was Maria''s phone, which had fallen out of her pocket when she fainted. "Mr.Carter, she fainted all of a sudden.Please check if she is okay," Anthony said politely. There was no professional medical equipment here, but it was not a problem for Christopher.He came from a family of doctors and had umted extensive experience with age, so medicine was second nature for him.He could conduct a preliminary diagnosis without any medical equipment at all. Christopher sat on the edge of the bed and began to examine Maria''s condition. When his eyes fell on her face, he paused. "What''s wrong? Mr.Carter, is her condition serious?" Anthony asked worriedly. He was standing behind Christopher, so he couldn''t see thetter''s face, but he felt that something was wrong. "Well..." After contemting for a while, Christopher finally opened his mouth to speak. "Anthony, have you heard of narcolepsy?" "Narcolepsy?" Anthony had heard this term before, but he was not really familiar with it. "Narcolepsy is a very special disease.Its cause varies with the individual, but most of them are psychological factors.This youngdy here has narcolepsy.I came here in a hurry, so I didn''t bring anything with me.I can''t provide any effective treatment for her for the time being." Anthony listened to Christopher''s words with a poker face as usual.His eyes swept across Maria''s face before falling on the phone next to her. Jack however, gasped in awe. "Mr.Carter, you are so amazing! You diagnosed her in just a few seconds." Christopher kept silent and ignored Jack. Jack was a little embarrassed, thinking that Christopher didn''t respond maybe because he didn''t want to talk to a lowly bodyguard. After a while, Anthony asked, "Do you mean that there is no medicine for her condition?" Christopher nodded. "We have been working hard on developing specific drugs for narcolepsy.However, almost all doctors agree that we must stick to the principle of specialized individual treatment for this disease, which means we have to customize a treatment n for each patient.After all, the causes of their illnesses are almostpletely different." Since narcolepsy was caused by psychological factors, the most effective treatment was to solve the problem at its root. And since everyone had different things troubling them, the treatment method would also be different. Christopher turned around and, noticing the slight concern on Anthony''s face, added, "One thing we know for sure will be helpful for the treatment of narcolepsy is doing exercise.If she can go jogging or something like that every day, it will be useful for her." "Doing exercise every day? Jogging?" Anthony murmured to himself. In that case, it locked like Maria would need someone to supervise her every day.His gaze fell on the phone next to her pillow again.It was not the iPhone that Bill had bought for her.It was a ck cellphone issued by Heaven for their top-level hackers only. Anthony''s eyes slowly narrowed. Chapter 31 Chapter 31 Chapter 31 Interrogation When Maria woke up, she found herself lying on the thick cashmere carpet in her hotel suite.She''d had a good sleep this time. Thest thing she remembered before fainting was that she hadn''t been able to make it to the bed. "It looks like...everything is fine," Maria murmured to herself as she looked around the suite. There was no trace of movement. The only thing out of ce in the suite was the phone lying on the carpet, which Maria recalled had slipped out of her pocket earlier. Maria had been suffering from narcolepsy for many years, so waking up on the floor was a normal urrence for her. In fact,pared to other times, her slumber on the carpet had beenfortable. After making sure that nothing had happened to her while she was asleep, Maria thanked her lucky stars. Then, she checked the time and found that she had been asleep for five hours this time. Fortunately, she hadn''t slept for more than twenty-four hours like a few incidents in the past. Outside the French windows of the suite, the bustling night view of Sheffield could be seen. After thinking about it for a while, Maria decided that it would be best if she left the hotel now while it was still early and returned to the Jenkins family''s home. Maria left the suite quickly and entered the elevator. The moment the elevator doors closed, the door of the suite opposite to Maria''s opened, and an electric wheelchair was slowly pushed out. Sitting in the wheelchair, Anthony was expressionless.He didn''t so much as turn towards the direction of the elevator.It was as if Maria''s departure had nothing to do with him. "Jack." "Yes, sir." "Inform the receptionist downstairs to delete my check-in record today." "Er...Okay, Mr.Wilson." Jack was a little confused. Was this the reason why they had waited here for five hours? When Maria returned home, she found everyone sitting in the living room. Bill and Julie both looked serious, while Vivian wore a scowl of resentment. Lily, meanwhile, stared ahead with a faint sneer, as if she was waiting for a good show. "Maria,e here." Bill was the first to speak, and there was a hint of usation in his voice. Unnerved by the solemn mood, Maria walked forward and took a seat on the sofa. Bill''s eyelids twitched. What an unruly vige girl! How dare she sit down without being asked to? In his view, Maria''s actions were that of an uncivilized girl, but he didn''t know that this could also be interpreted as being calm in a tough situation. "Maria, weren''t you supposed to be with Anthony today? Why did you go to Yeez Entertainment and sign up for the audition of the Legend of Anne?" While Bill asked these questions, the rest of the people in the living room fixed their gazes on Maria. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Julie¡¯s eyes were filled with indifference and a hint of distaste, but Vivian stared at Maria as if she wanted to kill her. "I went to Yeez Entertainment for personal affairs.I didn''t sign up for the audition," Maria stated inly. But although she was telling the truth, no one believed her. "Liar!" Vivian hissed sharply, unable to stand it anymore.She was so pissed off that she forgot to maintain her bearings as the daughter of the Jenkins family.Her failure in the audition was already a big blow in and of itself, but the greater blow was Maria¡¯s excellent performance. Maria''s confident and precise performance had instilled a sense of inferiority in Vivian. How could it be? How could this country girl be better than her? This single thought seized Vivian''s mind, making her hatred for Maria grow. Earlier this afternoon, after Vivian left the audition, she had received a message from her friend Sally telling her that Mr.Jackson thought highly of Maria, and that Maria was very likely to be cast as the lead actress. "Dad, Mom, I saw Maria at the audition studio.She even tried on more than one costume of the heroine," Vivian said with a ferocious expression. "It''s been just a few days since she came to our home! How dare she lie to us? In my opinion, it''s better to send her back right now!" Chapter 32 Chapter 32 Chapter 32 Ask For Help "Maria, can you exin?" Bill asked with a sullen face.He had picked Maria up from the countryside just to deal with the engagement with the Wilson family. But now, Maria had gone behind his back and auditioned for the Legend of Anne. What was worse, it sounded like she might be chosen to y the lead role! All this information was too unexpected for Bill to swallow. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Was Maria an ambitious woman? If she couldn''t behave herself, she might even end up destroying the harmonious rtionship between the Jenkins family and the Wilson family. Thinking of this, Bill''s dissatisfaction with Maria intensified. "As I said, I went to Yeez Entertainment for personal affairs.I didn''t sign up for the audition.I went to the studio just to watch, but the director misunderstood the situation and arranged for me to try on the costumes.That''s all." Maria exined the whole thing in a natural way, looking neither humble nor arrogant. Perhaps it was because she was so calm that Bill didn''t know what to say next.It was Lily who finally interjected, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Wow, Miss Maria, you are so awesome.A big director like Francis appreciated you as soon as he saw you! What a pity that you''ve just been living in a small town your whole life.A talent like you shouldn''t be neglected." Lily''s words sounded ttering on the surface, but they were designed to mock Maria for her humble origins and her arrogance. A big director wanted to choose a country girl to be the heroine of a new TV show.It did sound incredible. Vivian shot Lily an approving nce, and thetter beamed in excitement, as if she was getting a pay raise. "Ha-ha.Then Maria, what was your business in Yeez Entertainment? You used to live in the countryside.How could you know any of the big stars signed to Yeez Entertainment?" Vivian asked with a sneer. "I don''t know any of them." Once again, Maria was telling the truth. The only person she knew in the whole of Yeez Entertainment was Jeremy, the president. Of course, that was other than Lyndsey, whom she had met for the first time today. "I went to meet an online friend and give him something." Maria usuallymunicated with Jeremy on the Inte, so it wasn''t wrong for her to call him her online friend. Seeing that the Jenkins family still wanted to question her, Maria ran out of patience.Her beautiful face gradually turned cold, and her tone became terse. "I¡¯m sorry, but I''m an adult.No matter where I go, what I do, and who I meet, it''s my choice.No one has the right to interfere." After saying these words coldly, Maria turned around and went back to her room. "She...How dare she?" Vivian cried, annoyed at this setback. She pointed in the direction of Maria''s room and asked angrily, "Isn''t she afraid that we will drive her back to the countryside?" Bill also looked unhappy. Julie, who had been watching the whole scene in silence, finally spoke up. "We''re the ones who took the initiative to offer her a rich life.Maria didn''t ask for it.It''s useless to threaten her with it." The living room went silent. When they thought about Julie''s words, no one could refute. The Jenkins family didn''t seem to have anything to coerce or bribe Maria with. Seeing how obediently Maria hade to Sheffield, Bill and Vivian looked down on her and assumed that she was looking forward to afortable life in a rich family. After getting along with Maria for the past few days, however, they had found that she was like a hermit who had no desire for anything. "Vivian, ask your Aunt Patricia about it.As long as Mariais not selected as the lead actress and as long as she is willing to marry into the Wilson family, I can overlook her disobedience this time," Bill said in a deep voice. At the mention of Patricia Hughes, Vivian''s eyes lit up and she nodded excitedly. "Yes! I can ask for help from Aunt Patricia!" As soon as Vivian finished speaking, Julie suddenly stood up and walked towards her bedroom with a long face. Vivian stared at her receding back in confusion. "What''s wrong with Mom? Isn''t Aunt Patricia her best friend?¡¯¡¯ Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Patricia Hughes Patricia Hughes was a veteran actress in the film industry, having spent more than twenty years of her life appearing on screen. Now that she was middle-aged, she was usually cast in supporting roles of older characters, such as the mother of the heroine or an elder nobledy. Although she was not as popr as she once used to be, she had umted a lot of connections over the years. Moreover, she was a member of the Film and Television Association in Sheffield, which made her quite powerful and influential in the entertainment industry. Patricia had always been nice to Vivian.She had been treating the girl as her own daughter since Vivian was a child. After taking acting sses from a young age, Vivian hadter managed to sign with Yeez Entertainment, and even be the lead actress of a web series. But her sess could mostly be attributed to Patricia, who had helped her a lot behind the scenes. Vivian had always felt a distance with her mother, Julie, because thetter had an air of aloofness about her. On the other hand, Patricia was always very kind to Vivian and doted on her all the time. Although Vivian would never admit it out loud, she relied on Patricia much more than she did on her own mother. "Aunt Patricia, how have you been?" Vivian greeted cheerfully as soon as she saw Patricia walk into the living room. Patricia handed her handbag to Lily out of habit. Then, with a kind smile on her face, she held Vivian''s arm and sat next to her on the sofa. "Have a taste of the coffee.I made it specially for you," Bill said, bringing over a cup of coffee. Patricia took the cup with a smile. Before she could even thank him, Vivianunched into the story of her audition.She exaggerated many of the details, describing Maria as a scheming woman who wanted to be famous by any means possible. However, she conveniently left out the fact that she had gotten stage fright. "My dear girl, when you called me over in such a hurry, I thought something big must have happened." Shaking her head in amusement, Patricia stirred the coffee with a silver spoon, dissolving the sugar cube. Then, she lifted her head and looked at Vivian in a rxed way. "Vivian, you have been in the entertainment industry for quite some time.You should have already gotten used to such situations.Don''t you see it? Everyone flocks here, thinking that they can be famous overnight.But what happens to them? A fish eye could never be a pear," Patricia exined elegantly. The pride and confidence in her words had always been what Vivian admired the most. "You are right! A fish eye could never be a pearl!" Vivian echoed, finally feeling a sense of relief. In her eyes, Maria, the country girl, was just a fish eye. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Inparison, Vivian, who was born with a silver spoon in her mouth, was a valuable pearl. "But..." Vivian continued with a hint of worry. "What if Maria is lucky enough to be the lead actress in the show?" Now that Vivian had failed in the audition, she couldn''t bear to see Maria seed. Patricia shook her head with a faint smile. "Silly girl, listen to me.Just beforeing here,I signed a contract with Yeez Entertainment.I will be ying the role of a noblewoman in the Legend of Anne.As for the lead actress, it''s definitely Lyndsey and not some nameless country girl." Patricia was telling the truth as far as she knew; she had no idea that Lyndsey was selected as the lead actress only because Maria had refused the part. "Really? That''s great!" Vivian was overjoyed. It turned out that she hadn''t lost to Maria after all. As for the fact that Lyndsey was the lead actress of the show, it was something that Vivian could easily ept. After all, Vivian had only starred in a web series, while Lyndsey was an award- winning actress known all over the country. However, Vivian still had a request.She held Patricia''s arm and pleaded with her. "Aunt Patricia, I didn''t get cast for any role in the show yet.Please help me!" Seeing Vivian act spoiled like this, Patricia didn''t feel annoyed or repulsed. Instead, she gave her a doting look and took out a performance contract from her limited edition LV bag. "I''ve already arranged it for you.Although it is a supporting role, you''ll appear in a lot of scenes.You will be acting as my daughter..." Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Invitation To The Party Unaware that there was a guest at home, Maria stayed in her room.She was browsing her phone when she received a message from Anthony. "Miss Jenkins, there will be a party at Viton Hotel tomorrow night at seven.If you''re avable, could you come with me?" Anthony asked so politely without sounding so pushy or bossy. If Maria didn''t want to go, she could easily refuse him. "Alright.My schedule''s not as busy these days anyway," Maria replied with honesty. Since she took a break from conducting business in Heaven, she actually had much more time on her te. On top of that, Maria had promised that she would cooperate with Anthony for a year.She wouldn''t deliberately avoid keeping her end of the bargain, especially since he asked nicely. To make sure she would do well, Maria sent another message to find out more. "What kind of event is it? Do I need to prepare for anything specific?" "It''s just a small party.There''s no need to worry.Although, I''ll advise you to refrain from eating before going to the party and enjoy the food they serve.I hear the chef is excellent." As though he knew what was on her mind, Anthony gave her reassurance that he wasn''t pressuring her for anything. "Is there a dress code?" Of course, Maria didn''t want to miss any detail.She had several dresses in her wardrobe, but they were so in and simple that none of them could pass for an evening dress. "Don''t bother.You cane as you are." Anthony settled the matter pretty quickly, then added, "You don''t have to dress up for anyone.Just wear whatever you like, as long as you''refortable." When Maria got his reply, her eyebrows suddenly raised.She couldn''t help but think how powerful Anthony was for him to tell her not to worry about what to wear. After all, the only people who dressed casually at luxury events were either simpletons or big shots with unfathomable backgrounds. Other than them, guests usually couldn''t avoid those cliches. "I see.Okay." When she finally had all the information she needed for the party, Maria ended their conversation. Thud! Thud! All of a sudden, there was an intentional knocking on her door. Outside her bedroom, Lily spoke to her with a harsh voice. "Miss Maria, there is a distinguished guest.You should at leaste and say hello.It''smon courtesy after all." As a matter of fact, no one had informed Maria that a guest wasing over. Nheless, Lily huffed at her loud enough for everyone in the house to hear so they would think that Maria was impolite. Despite her provocation, Maria simply walked out of her room and ignored the maid standing by the door before she went straight into the living room. "Hello, Miss Hughes.My name is Maria." Apparently, as soon as she got out of her room, Maria already recognized at first sight that the guest was Patricia Hughes.She might be famous, but Maria actually knew her from a couple of years ago. After all, Patricia was cast in a film adapted from one of Maria''s short stories. Although she only yed a supporting role and didn''t have many scenes, it was the biggest project she had been a part of¡ªthanks to the film being a huge sess. She even got a nomination for "Best Supporting Actress" at a national film festival and almost won the title. Moreover, because of the nomination, she got appointed as a member of the Film and Television Association. "Oh, you know who I am?" Patricia looked Maria up and down. "You really are something else." Her tone overflowed with arrogance.It was clear she wasn''t as kind to her as she was to Vivian. In her eyes, Maria was a sly, calcting girl. Patricia was convinced that if a country girl like Maria could recognize a minor celebrity such as herself, then she was definitely eager to enter the entertainment circle and rise to the upper ss. The more she thought about it, the more she looked down on Maria. "That reminds me, Maria.The female lead for the Legend of Anne has been confirmed.It''s gonna be Lyndsey Mosby.She recently won Best Actress award.It''s a pity you didn''t get the part." Since she was currently in a good mood, Vivian sounded a little forbearing. However, it was only to mask her insinuation of irony as if she was waiting to see how negatively her remark would affect Maria. "I see." Just like she usually did, Maria responded rather nonchntly. Of course, Yeez Entertainment would choose Lyndsey. The part had always been hers, so why should she be surprised? At this point, Vivian was getting annoyed and a little unhappy that Maria was calm and didn''t seem to care. "Well, do you still want to y a part in the show? If you want, Aunt Patricia could probably get you a role." Vivian turned to Patricia with a conniving nce. "Aunt Patricia, will you be able to arrange a position for Maria? Even walk-on parts like a maid or something like that may do.I''m sure she can pull it off." Patricia waved a limp wrist. "Oh, for sure! That''s a piece of cake.I can handle that in minutes.Anyway, Vivian, prepare for a morous party tomorrow at Viton Hotel.I''ll take you as my plus-one.Parties like this can help you expand yourwork, you know."N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. After mentioning her invitation to Vivian, Patricia remembered that Maria was still in front of them. She then shook her head at her. "Oh, I can''t bring you to the party, Maria.It''s very exclusive.You know, by invitation only." Chapter 35 Chapter 35 Chapter 35 Patricia''s Ability An exclusive party? At the Viton Hotel? Maria didn''t respond, but Vivian could hardly hide her excitement. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. "Aunt Patricia! Viton Hotel is where the Film and Television Association conducts activities, right? Would there be famous directors, producers, and other actors at the party tomorrow?" In her eagerness, Vivian almost rapped her response to Patricia and ended up short of breath as if she had just finished an intense workout. Attending events like these was exactly the dream of new actors like Vivian. After all, it would benefit their career if they managed to widen their social circle. No matter how big the gap was between her and those already famous actresses, she could still make a ssh at the banquet and even win the favor of a producer or an acimed director. Patricia nodded proudly, "Yes, my dear.And you''ll be happy to know that I also got you a chance to sing a song.I wasn''t so sure, but I seem to recall you took singing lessons." With bright eyes and a big smile, Vivian nodded repeatedly. "I did! I learned from Professor Lydia Clemens for around two years." Upon hearing the name of the professor, Patricia felt very satisfied. After all, more than being the head of the Vocal Music Department of Sheffield Conservatory, Lydia was a renowned soprano in the city and the vice president of the Sheffield Musicians Association. Under her tutge, even if Vivian weren''t a professional singer, singing a song would be a piece of cake for her. "Vivian, it''s a rare opportunity tomorrow.You must sing your best piece and try to make all the quests remember you.Understood? If you''re lucky, you may get to sign several new ys right on the spot." When she mentioned this, Patricia smugly nced in Maria''s direction.It was her intention to make Maria realize what she could do.She could easily give Vivian an opportunity to be an A-list actress. Maria, on the other hand, would get nothing from her because she was a small fry from a small, remote town. Patricia wanted to make Maria see how she made Vivian famous. This was her punishment. After all, Maria shouldn''t have tried to audition at Yeez Entertainment and upset Vivian. "Hey! Where did that girl go?" She nced around the living room, but Maria was no longer to be found. Although she didn''t mean to ask it out loud, Lily replied to her in a hurry, "Miss Maria has gone back to her room, Ma¡®am.She didn''t even wait for you to finish speaking.How rude." Of course, Patricia was so stunned that the corners of her mouth started twitching in anger. She was trying to demonstrate her authority to Maria, but the girl already left before she could even ridicule her. "Humph!" Patricia could only snort derisively. Right now, she felt even more annoyed that she got ignored by a simpleton. Meanwhile, Vivian was so overjoyed with the good news that she didn''t even notice Maria''s disappearance and Patricia''s exasperation. "Aunt Patricia, I''m going to the piano room to practice.I promise I won''t embarrass you tomorrow!" Vivian had her own piano room upstairs that was dedicated to her rehearsals. While she merrily ran upstairs, she saw Julieing out of the bedroom. "Mom! Aunt Patricia got mea role in the show! And she''s also taking me to an exclusive party tomorrow!" Despite being out of breath, Vivian still had the energy to tell her mom the good news. "I see.Be ady.Don''t jump and run around the house like a rascal." Even though her daughter was filled with excitement, Julie acted as if she had only heard a trivial matter. There was not a trace of joy on her face, and her tone even sounded a little reproachful. Obviously not the reaction she was hoping for, Vivian felt like she was thrown a bucket of cold water and promptly quietened down.She then carefully walked past Julie and didn''t dare prance. Instead, she tiptoed into the piano room and gently closed the door. "Oh, there you are.Care to join me for a drink?" As soon as she made it to the living room, Julie grabbed two sses and a bottle of wine from the rack of the bar cart and held it up to her bestie. Patricia smiled and shrugged. "You''re too strict with Vivian.Even I felt sorry for her.Can''t you be gentle to your own child?" "I see.Well, I get what you mean." After breathing a sigh, Julie poured half a ss of wine for Patricia.She then filled her own goblet and swirled it around. Chapter 36 Chapter 36 Chapter 36 A Chat With Maria The two of them drank up a whole bottle of wine. In her inebriated state, Julie soon dozed off. After a long time, she was finally awakened by the sound from the piano room upstairs. Vivian was quite a talented singer. Otherwise, Lydia would never have agreed to teach her. However, Julie had personally never liked Vivian''s singing. Every time Vivian went to the piano room to practice, Julie felt suffocated, like she didn''t even want to stay in the vi. At this time, Patricia had already gone back home. Julie looked around the house, but there was no sign of her husband. Bill had probably gone out to socialize with his friends. She stood up slowly, and her knees still wobbled a little. But the constant sound of bel canto from upstairs urged her to leave the house as soon as possible. Julie felt as if a boulder was pressing on her chest. It was only after she walked into the yard of the vi and the sound of Vivian''s singing faded into the distance that she breathed a long sigh of relief. To her surprise, Julie suddenly saw a figure dressed in white on thewn. Upon taking a closer look, she found that it was Maria, practicing karate in a traditional white uniform. It was dusk, and the sun was quickly sinking towards the horizon. In the dim light, Maria''s smooth and graceful moves looked even more powerful. Julie was so fascinated by the scene that her spirits rose again. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Even the grogginess from the wine gradually wore off. When Maria stopped, Julie couldn''t help asking her about it. "You seem very proficient in karate.Which master did you learn it from?" As soon as Julie finished her question, however, she regretted saying those words. After all, Maria came from the countryside. How could she know a master? But still... Regret? Julie had always been a prideful woman. The emotion she hated the most was regret. "I taught myself.There are many videos about karate on the Inte," Maria said tly. Her words were always short and concise.She was not the type to voluntarily divulge information, such as the fact that she was only practicing karate in order to ease the frequency of her narcolepsy episodes. "You''ve learned it very well.I know some karate masters, but I find them to be just so-so." Julie wanted to say something more, but quickly stopped herself. She had been about to say that Maria had a knack for learning new things, and that if she went back to school, she would probably have a promising future. But on second thought, she realized that it was ridiculous to say such a thing. Maria was an orphan who had only graduated from high school. She''d probably spent her whole life in that small town if the Jenkins didn''t bring her to Sheffield. What could she possibly achieve in life? For a girl like her, marrying into the Wilson family on Vivian''s behalf was already an unimaginably fortunate fate. In fact, Julie was surprised to find herself even chatting with Maria. She had never imagined that she would waste time on this so-called adopted daughter. However, Vivian''s singing in the vi still hadn''t subsided. Compared to that, Julie would be happy to chat with a brick wall, let alone Maria. And the truth was, she felt inexplicably rxed when talking to Maria. "You...Have you eaten yet?" Julie didn''t know what else to say, so she made small talk. Maria nodded. "I made some noodles.I just finished them." Hearing this, Julie was stunned.She frowned and asked, "You made noodles yourself? Where is the maid?" She was upset again. Lily had been hired as a maid for the Jenkins family with a decent pay. Even if Maria was an adopted daughter, she was still the daughter of the Jenkins family. How could Lily neglect Maria like this? "I don''t know," Maria answered honestly.She really didn''t know where Lily had gone, nor did she care. Earlier when Patricia was showing off her authority, Maria felt another narcolepsy attacking on.She had hurried back to her room to take a nap. Both she and Julie had missed dinner tonight. Seizing the opportunity, Lily had only made dinner for Bill and Vivian, and rushed out without preparing food for anyone else. But at this moment, a low growl sounded from Julie''s stomach. Being a nobledy, Julie blushed at once.She was starving, but having grown up in a rich family, she didn''t know the first thing about cooking. Looking at Julie up and down, Maria suggested, "Would you like some noodles?" Chapter 37 Chapter 37 Chapter 37 Cooking For Julie N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. "Well...Okay." Julie was stunned by Maria''s offer to make noodles for her. Her first instinct was to refuse, but her mouth seemed to have a mind of its own, and somehow she agreed. The truth was, Julie was very particr about food and would not taste just anyone''s cooking. Lily was not the best maid they had interviewed, but she was the best cook, which was why Julie had decided to hire her. When Julie and Maria returned to the vi, the sound of music and singing still came from upstairs, much to Julie''s irritation. It was only after walking into the kitchen and closing the soundproof door that Julie''s expression improved slightly. "Can you eat spicy food?" "Well, just a little," Julie answered subconsciously. She felt a little strange. Although she was an elder, she was somehow willing to be led by the nose by Maria. Maria got down to business right away. She kneaded the dough, let it ferment for a while, ttened it with a rolling pin, and then skillfully cut the t dough into noodles with a kitchen knife. After cooking the noodles in a pot of boiling water, she prepared the soup and some fried pepper. The fragrant aroma of noodle soup filled the whole kitchen. As soon as Julie saw the fiery red pepper dripping over the noodles, she began salivating. When Maria was done cooking, she put down therge bowl of noodles in front of Julie. When Julie noticed the beads of sweat on Maria¡¯s forehead, her usually cold face softened. "Thank you," she murmured sincerely. "I''m going back to my room.Remember to wash the bowl after you finish eating," Maria replied calmly as usual. After saying that, she walked out of the kitchen and back to her room. Sitting alone in front of the bowl of noodles, Julie was stunned.She had assumed that Maria had offered to cook noodles for her in order to get into her good books. But now, she could see that in Maria''s eyes, feeding her was no different from feeding a pet. The gratitude in Julie''s heart disappeared in an instant. However, the bowl of noodles looked too tempting to waste. After thinking for a while, Julie decided to take the bowl of noodles to her bedroom and finish it secretly there. She didn''t want others to see it. Five minutes after Maria and Julie left the kitchen, Lily returned. She was in good spirits, because she had just earned some extra money for herself. Rich families like the Jenkins family had a lot of friends in high ces, and thus received a lot of expensive gifts. The number of gifts was such that there was a room in the Jenkins family house especially for storing them. The Jenkins family couldn''t be bothered to take care of these gifts personally, so they would ask Lily to tidy the room. Every once in a while, Lily would report to Bill that the high-end desserts and fruits sent by the guests were about to expire and should be thrown away. Bill never paid attention to such trifles. He would just absent-mindedly wave his hand and let Lily deal with it by herself. Today, Lily had lied to Bill that two high-end gift boxes were about to expire. After getting permission from Bill to throw the gift boxes in the garbage, she had secretly taken them to a gift-recycling shop. There, she had managed to sell the brand-new gift boxes at a lower price. This was the source of Lily''s extra ie. Lily hummed happily as she entered the house. As soon as she entered the kitchen, she found that the flour bag had been moved from its original ce. "It must have been that country girl again.Let me see how much flour she took," Lily murmured. Since she hadn''t prepared any food for Maria, she had guessed that thetter would cook something for herself. When Lily opened the flour bag, she found that the amount of flour missing was far more than needed for one person. "Could she actually eat so much? That''s impossible! Then...did she steal the flour?" At first, Lily was confused, and then her eyes lit up with excitement. Just as she thought, Maria was a country girl with no guts at all. There were so many valuable things in the Jenkins family house, but she only dared to steal the high- grade imported flour. Lilyughed at Maria''s cowardice, but at the same time, she was delighted that she finally had some dirt on Maria. Making up her mind, she rushed to the door of Maria''s room and knocked hard enough for everyone to hear. "Come out! You shameless little thing! How can you be so shameless? Come out!" Chapter 38 Chapter 38 Chapter 38 Haggle Over Every Ounce The noise of Lily''s thumping on the door echoed throughout the vi. Even Vivian, who was practicing in the piano room upstairs, came down to see what was going on. When Maria opened the door, she found herself face to face with a fierce- looking Lily. The joy in thetter''s eyes couldn''t be concealed. "You stole something from the house!" Seeing that there was an audience, Lily became more excited.She pointed an usatory finger at Maria and said to Vivian, "Miss Jenkins, I found her stealing.There''s no debating it this time! I even have evidence!"When Lily''s words finally registered in Vivian''s mind, she had to suppress a squeal of delight. Vivian had a strong desire to prove that she was superior to Maria, and had tried to make things difficult for thetter several times in the past but to no avail. But now, it seemed that Lily had caught Maria red-handed! Although Maria couldn''t have stolen anything valuable, this kind of despicable behavior was enough to leave a serious blot on her character. Even if Maria became Mrs.Wilson in the future, in Vivian''s eyes, she would always just be a petty thief. "Lily, don''t shout.It''s not good to let the neighbors hear it," Vivian chided, perfectly ying the part of a nobledy. She straightened her back and raised her head as if she was looking down on Maria, even though the latter was a few inches taller than her. "Maria, did you steal something from our house? How could you? It would be embarrassing if the news spreads." Vivian walked up to Maria with folded arms and looked at her up and down, trying to find the stolen goods on her. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. "Oh? Do you have any evidence?" Maria asked Lily, ignoring Vivian altogether. As usual, her voice was calm and emotionless.She didn''t sound aggrieved, nor was she desperate to defend herself. Being stared at by Maria this way, Lily felt like she was a stupid marmot while Maria was a fierce prairie wolf. "How can you act so high and mighty after stealing something?" Lily shouted, suppressing her fear. "Miss Maria, you stole the flour from the kitchen, didn''t you? That flour is a high-end imported good.It costs dozens of dors a pound!" Hearing that the item Maria had stolen was just flour, Vivian felt a little disappointed. Even if Maria had stolen the flour, how was it a big deal? It was not as if the kitchen of the Jenkins family home was a grain warehouse. Even if Maria stole all the flour in the kitchen, it would not be a big enough matter to file a police case. But on second thought, Vivian concluded that stealing flour was just the kind of thing that a country girl like Maria would do. Even though the Jenkins family had many luxury goods just lying around in the house, Maria didn''t know their value. The only thing she had thought of to steal was food from the kitchen. "Why did you steal flour? It''s too embarrassing to even talk about.Anyway, it''s not a big deal.You should go to Mom and Dad to admit your mistake.Don''t worry.I''ll go with you," Vivian said decisively, as if she had the final say in the matter. Hearing this, Lily was secretly happy. Despite how generous Vivian sounded, she insisted that Maria apologize to Mr.and Mrs.Jenkins. It was clear that Vivian also hated Maria. Having worked for many rich families before, Lily was quite observant and immediately saw through Vivian''s thoughts. Although Vivian spoke to Maria in a kind and gentle way, it was in to see that she didn''t intend to let go of Maria. After all, if Vivian cared about Maria even a little, she would have scolded Lily and covered the matter up. "I was hungry, so I took some flour to make some noodles for myself.Is that considered stealing?" Maria asked calmly, looking at the two women in front of her.Lily scoffed. "If you just wanted to fill your stomach, then of course that¡¯s not a problem.But how much could a young girl like yourself have eaten? There seems to be at least a pound less of flour in the kitchen.Miss Maria, are you iming that you can eat a whole pound of needles in one meal?" A normal person would eat about a pound of food a day. Judging by Maria''s slender figure, it was impossible for her to eat at one meal what a normal person would eat in a day. "Miss Maria, stop denying it.You are a thief!" Lily said in smug satisfaction. She had just finished speaking when Julie slowly walked down from the second floor of the vi, carrying an empty bowl in her hands. Chapter 39 Chapter 39 Chapter 39 The Truth And The Punishment In her bedroom, Julie had finished the whole bowl of noodles and even drunk up the soup to thest drop. Even though it was just a normal bowl of homemade noodles, she felt like she hadn''t tasted such delicious food in a long time. Because of that, Julie now had a good impression of Maria.When she came downstairs, she was confused to see Lily and Vivian blocking the door of Maria''s room in a hostile way. "They used me of stealing," Maria said to Julie calmly. In her tone, there was no hint of pleading or an intention to ask for help.She simply seemed to be answering Julie''s unasked question. Julie was stunned. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. "Oh? Stealing what?" As if she was standing in court, Lily pointed at Maria. "Madam, Miss Maria admitted just now that she touched the flour in the kitchen.She ims that she used it to make noodles, but there''s at least a pound of flour less.She is not a cow.How could she eat so much noodles in one sitting?" After a pause, Lily continued, "I suspect that Miss Maria stole the imported flour and sold it somewhere else..." She confidently continued her usation, not noticing that Julie''s face was getting gloomier and gloomier by the second. Julie put down the bowl slowly with sharp eyes. "Did you just say ¡®cow''?" she asked through gritted teeth. "That''s right! Only a cow could eat so much in one meal." Lily exined the situation animatedly, but soon, she started to feel that something was wrong. Julie''s eyes were as cold as ice. But why did she keep ring at the maid instead of at thief Maria? Julie came from a well-educated family, and had always been taught to act like ady. But at this moment, she really wanted to tip the empty bowl on Lily''s head! Over the years, even though Julie''s family members had gradually distanced themselves from her after she married Bill on impulse, none of them dared to speak rudely in front of her. Now, all she had done was eat a bowl of noodles.How dare someone insinuate that she was a cow? And that someone was her servant, no less! "Maria, the noodles you made for me was delicious.Thank you." Julie finally opened her mouth and spoke to Maria. However, it was not the harsh rebuke that Vivian and Lily were eagerly awaiting. "You''re wee." Maria nced at Julie, and then at the empty bowl kept aside. "Wash the bowl yourself," she said tly. "Oh...Okay." Julie frowned, feeling a bit upset.She had just defended Maria against a false usation, so why didn''t thetter feel grateful? How could Maria still be so arrogant? Maria had been an orphan since she was a baby. Had she simply been born fearless? It was only now that Lily and Vivian also realized what was going on, and they both gulped. Lily, in particr, was startled. She remembered that she had not only not cooked dinner for Maria, but that she had also neglected Julie! In fact, when she had seen that Julie was drunk, she had assumed that Julie would sleep till dawn. After all, every time Julie drank with Patricia, she would drink to the point of cking out. Now, Looking at Julie''s discontent face, Lily couldn''t help but tremble. Vivian said in disbelief, "Mom...You let Maria cook for you?" She had always thought that her mother disliked Maria, too. As soon as the question left her mouth, Vivian smelled the aroma in the air and immediately recalled the noodles that whet her appetitest time.She stared at Lily, perplexed. Wasn''t that Lily''s cooking? "Maria is a good cook." Julie pursed her lips as if she was recalling the excellent taste. "Vivian, you should learn from Maria.You''re already an adult, but you still can''t do any housework.Come and wash this bowl for me." Without so much as bothering to look at her daughter''s reaction, Julie turned to Lily. "I''m very disappointed with your performance.Half of your sry will be deducted this month." Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Chapter 40 You Are All The Same Lily shook from fear after insulting the hostess identally.Her job could be on the line because of that. When she heard that her punishment was a fifty percent deduction from her sry, she heaved a sigh of relief. Losing some money wasn''t a big deal, and she was not bothered in any way. As long as she could steal a few gifts from the Jenkins family and sell them secretly, she would definitely make up for her loss. "I am going to wash the bowl.You don''t have to concern yourself with that," Lily said to Vivian. Actually, she couldn''t care less about the bowl.She just wanted to leave the scene. So immediately Vivian nodded in agreement, Lily rushed to the kitchen awkwardly. After that, the room was quiet for almost thirty seconds. "Mom, I have put some ns in ce to attend a banquet with Aunt Patricia tomorrow.Would you like to go with us?" Vivian broke the silence and changed the topic. Obviously, she was trying to please Julie. "l can inform her in advance to make arrangements for an extra seat, if that''s fine with you." "The sponsor of the party has invited me.So I don''t need anybody to take me there," Julie replied coldly. Prior to her daughter speaking to her, she looked excited because of the delicious meal she had. All of a sudden, her good mood vanished into thin air. "You''ve got to be kidding me, Mom!" Vivian couldn''t hide her shock. "If that¡¯s the case, why didn''t you tell me to go with you?" She stared at her mother after the question.It soon dawned on Vivian that her mother had been living in seclusion. Although Julie was a very wealthydy, she seldom attended social activities like banquets. Vivian then wondered how many activities Julie must have refused to attend over the years. Vivian felt that she would have had more resources and chances if her mother took her to these kinds of events to meet more big shots in the industry. The thought made her aggrieved and somewhat disappointed at her own mother. Having no idea what her daughter was thinking, Julie asked Maria out of the blue, "Do you want to go to the party? I can give you my invitation to the event, if you like.it could be fun." Vivian couldn''t believe her ears. Even Julie herself was surprised at her own words. Maria had only been adopted for a couple of days. But she was already getting all this care and attention. Was all that really necessary? "Mom, is it really appropriate for you to invite her to such a high-end party?" Vivian asked. Anger was seething within her. "After all, she''s from the countryside and is unfamiliar with the etiquettes of the upper ss." She looked at Julie and added in a loud voice, "Has it crossed your mind that if Maria goes to the banquet with your invitation and makes a fool of herself, she would end up disgracing you!" "Vivian, I''m not asking for your opinion," Julie said with a frown on her face. Before she could said another word, Maria declined her offer. "I don''t need your invitation.If there is nothing else, please don''t disturb me.You are really noisy." She shut the door without minding the reaction of her newly adopted mother and sister. Therefore both of them were locked outside. Julie and Vivian looked at each other. They were astounded by what just happened. How could she dare to do such a thing given that she had just recently be a member of the Jenkins family? "At least, she''s sensible enough to know where she is not wanted.The party is not for someone like her." Vivian sneered and felt much better.She wanted to hold Julie''s arm and act like a spoiled child.But her hand was gently pushed away. "Mom, it''s a good thing that she refused to go.Otherwise, she would have made a scene and embarrassed you." Apparently, Vivian was still disgruntled.She continued to speak ill of Maria. "She is my daughter and your sister now.So you must mind what you say about her," Julie replied. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. "If others hear such remarks from you, they willugh at our family." "She doesn''t deserve to be a member of our family.For all I know, you only have one daughter.And I am the one!" Julie wanted to say that Vivian and Maria were the same to her.But she hesitated.For reasons best known to her, she kept quiet. Chapter 41 Chapter 41 Chapter 41 Attending The Banquet The next afternoon, Vivian was already done preparing for the banquet. Although, there were still two hours left before the event started in Viton Hotel, she had to be there in advance. At the same time, Patricia arrived at the Jenkins¡¯ residence to pick up Vivian. Thetter was invited to sing tonight, so she needed a bit of rehearsal before the banquet began. Vivian was wearing a gorgeous evening dress.It was as blue as the sky and was decorated with many pieces of brilliant diamonds. At a nce, one could assume how expensive and exquisite this dress was. Before going out, she deliberately nced at Maria with acent smile. However, she found that thetter was just looking at her phone all this time, Paying no attention to how well-dressed Vivian was. "Humph! She must be very good at pretending not to care.But I''m sure that she is very jealous." Vivian scoffed coldly,ining to Patricia as they walked towards the car. Patricia smiled sarcastically and added fuel to fire. "What will you expect from an ordinary girl who grew up in a poor town? Of course, she could just pretend not to be envious.Honey, there is just a huge gap between you and her.You are worlds apart! You don''t have to worry about her.All she can do is look up at you when you ascend to fame, while she is left at the bottom. "Thank you, Aunt Patricia.You are right!" Hearing this, Vivian was filled with more confidence.She couldn''t help but imagine that tonight, an investor or a director would surely be charmed by her singing, and they would offer her something big. Meanwhile, in the vi, Maria was still sitting on the sofa with her arms around her knees. Hearing her phone chime, she looked at the screen of her phone and saw a message. "The party starts at seven o''clock.So, I''ll be there and pick you up an hour earlier." It turned out that she had been chatting with Anthony. Seeing this, Maria checked the time.It was only five o''clock.She still had plenty of time left. After all, she didn''t need to put on aplicated dress or an borate makeup. "Okay then.See youter." After she replied, Julie happened to appear in the living room. Unlike Bill, who usually attended social activities just like her daughter, Julie was a bit aloof.She would just stay at the vi if the events to attend weren''t that necessary. In fact, aside from Lily, only she and Maria were left in the house right now. "What''s this? Do you have somewhere to go tonight?" Julie immediately noticed that Maria had changed into a clean, in dress. Although it definitely was not made by a famous designer, and the style was not gorgeous enough, it was a little different from what Maria usually wore. Therefore, she had a hunch that there might be a special reason as to why Maria dressed up. However, before Maria could answer, Lily came out of the kitchen. But after the incident about the flour thingst time, she deemed that she had to be discreet for a while. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Then, she asked Julie with a cautious tone, "Mrs.Jenkins, only you and Miss Maria should be having dinner at home tonight, right?" "Why? What''s the matter?" Julie replied with a question instead. Slightly nervous, Lily smiled apologetically and said, "It''s about the food for dinner...The grocery store which we usually order things from, has suddenly closed.So now, the remaining food in the fridge is only enough for one person." Although Lily said this with genuine embarrassment on her face, there was still a part of her that enjoyed this. Of course, she didn''t y any tricks this time.It wasn''t her fault that the food she could serve for dinner was not enough. As a servant, she could fill herself up with cookies or chips. But of course, this would be uneptable for the masters of the house. They should always eat the right amount and kind of food. However, the problem was there was only enough food for one person.It meant that someone would not be able to eat dinner. As the wife of the family''s head, Julie had the right for it. But Lily would like to see what Maria would do. If Maria dared to act like an uncivilized brat andpete with Julie for something like this, she would definitely be in trouble. Lily was convinced that since Maria came from a poor background, she would want to have her fill. Therefore, she was ready to watch something fun. "I''m not hungry.You can bring the food to Maria after you''re done preparing dinner." Surprisingly, Julie took the initiative to offer the food to Maria. The Jenkins family always had rich afternoon tea. Since Julie had tea and desserts earlier, she was not that hungry yet. Moreover, she always paid great attention to her figure, so she didn''t really eat much at dinner. Of course, Lily was very disappointed at this anticlimactic ending. But she still had other ideas in mind. "Mrs.Jenkins, the main dishes for dinner are tuna bone marrow and top-grade abalones.Mr.Jenkins actually ordered them especially for you.I just don''t think that it''s appropriate to just give them to Miss Maria..." Hearing this, Julie swallowed hard and was rendered speechless for a while. Even though she couldn''t cook that much, she knew that tuna bone marrow and top-grade abalones were very rare. Tuna bone marrow was a luxurious seafood dish and she was able to eat it a few times before.It tasted the best when eaten raw. Most importantly, it easily cost an arm and a leg since a tuna fish only had so much bone marrow to offer. Then, it was going to be paired with top-grade abalones, which were also very valuable. In fact, even the cooking skills required to make these dishes should also be top-notch. Since Lily was a top-rated maid in terms of cooking, Julie was sure that she could create a sumptuous feast out of them. When Lily said that it might be a little inappropriate to let Maria have the meal, it was because the cost of this meal even exceeded the monthly food allowance of an ordinary family. Therefore, Lily was simply implying that Maria didn''t deserve to indulge herself to such a luscious meal. After all, she wasn''t even a real member of the Jenkins family. Chapter 42 Chapter 42 Chapter 42 Shut Up Lily didn''t have to say it word for word. Julie was smart enough to pick up what she meant. For a while, Julie remained quiet, thinking about what Lily pointed out. In fact, although Maria had been living with them for some time now, she still didn''t approve of her as a member of their family. Julie then thought of her husband, Bill. Knowing that he bought the extravagant food especially for her, he would certainly be displeased once he found out that his wife gave it to Maria instead. Seeing that Julie was in deep thought, Lily put out a straight face, but she wasughing in her heart. Then, Lily said in an insinuating tone, "Mrs.Jenkins, I''ll prepare the dishes first and bring it to the dining table." As for who would end up eating the dinner she prepared, Lily didn''t care. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. She already sowed the seed of discord, and that was enough for her. After saying that, Lily went back to the kitchen, acting innocently.She was like a sapper whoid out a mine and was just waiting for it to detonate. "Maria..." Eventually, Julie broke the silence. She actually intended to ask Maria what she liked to eat for dinner, meaning that she decided to eat what Lily would prepare. Julie thought that girls at Maria''s age would probably have noints if they could have cheeseburger or pizza for dinner. So, she nned to order a take-out for Maria. If the girl was sensible enough, she should ept the arrangement and still be grateful. "I actually have something to deal with tonight.So, I''ll be having dinner outside." If only Lily didn''t butt in earlier, Maria would have already said this much earlier. However, Julie was quite shocked. Although she already guessed that Maria was going somewhere after seeing her in a dress, she was still surprised when she actually heard her say it. Julie wanted to ask her for more details, but Maria had already gone back to her room. At the same time, it turned out that Lily also heard Maria say that she was going out. Because of this, she quickly came up with an idea to make Maria''s image bad again. Hence, she went back to the living room and whispered in Julie''s ear, "Mrs.Jenkins, it seems that even though Miss Maria is just new to Sheffield, she already has a rich nightlife.She always wears in shirts and jeans, but this is my first time seeing her in a dress.Hmm...It''s getting dark now.Is she nning to go to some party wearing that? Does she have new friends? I bet they are men who are going to be bad influences to her." Julie''s heart skipped a beat when she heard that.She thought that it wasn''t impossible. Maria was stuck in a very poor town before. Now that she somehow gained freedom and came to this metropolis, she might want to try things that she never did before. However, she was already engaged to Anthony on behalf of Vivian. Of course, she couldn''t be seen having fun with random men. Even if they were just friends, if this news reached the Wilsons, a misunderstanding would be inevitable. This might anger Anthony, and there would be no good way to exin it. Moreover, if Maria was really having an affair with another man, then Julie had all the more reason to stop it. "Ma''am, although Miss Maria isn''t your biological daughter, she is still part of your family now.If she does something to put the Jenkins household in trouble, everyone will be affected.I''m sure you also have the authority to discipline her." Like a devil whispering in a mortal''s ear, Lily continued to feed words in Julie''s mind.She was deliberately making it seem like Maria was only going out tonight to do something shameful. At the same time, as if she waspletely brainwashed, Julie nodded and thought of what to do. "You are right.It''s better to be safe than sorry..." It was almost six o''clock in the evening when Julie stood outside Maria''s bedroom. Before she could knock on the door, Maria opened the door from inside. She was still wearing the in dress, and there was a small canvas bag on her shoulder. In it were a few of her belongings such as her mobile phone and facial tissue. Anthony said that he would be here at six o''clock to pick her up, so she was about to go out. "Maria, you''re not going anywhere tonight." Julie''s face was solemn and her tone was serious.She thought that this was such a serious matter, and she couldn¡® let it happen under her watch. Maria''s brows slightly furrowed, thinking what Julie was talking about. However, when her gaze went beyond Julie, she saw Lily snickering not too far from them. Therefore, she instantly understood what was happening. "You don''t know what you''re talking about.Now, get out of my way." Maria''s voice sounded indifferent as usual, but the look in her eyes was rather fierce. Julie was taken aback. Not only did she find Maria''s response to be unexpected, but she also didn''t think that a beautiful girl like her was capable of giving such a fierce look.She couldn''t help but subconsciously take a step back. But after a moment, Julie regained herposure and quickly re-established her authority as Maria''s adoptive mother. "Maria! Even though you are just adopted, your status is now very different from before.You should learn to pay attention to your words and deeds.Have you forgotten that you are engaged to Anthony? If you are only going to some meaningless social activities, then I forbid you to¡ª" Before Julie could finish her words, Maria got impatient and interrupted her. "Enough.Will you shut up? You''re making a fool of yourself." As if the temperature suddenly dropped by a few degrees, the expression on Maria''s face became more domineering. There was no sign of timidity or backing down.Herst sentence was uttered in a low voice, but it was clear enough for Julie to hear it. "You...Did you just tell me to shut up? How dare you?" Julie was dumfounded that she thought she only misheard it.But no.She couldn''t be mistaken.It turned out that her adopted daughter was rude enough to answer back at her in a disrespectful way. Chapter 43 Chapter 43 Chapter 43 Anthony Is Here Maria didn''t argue with Julie further. However, she cast a piercing cold nce at Lily. At the same time, Lily clearly felt the re that was directed at her.It was as if even the deepest corner of her soul waspletely exposed in front of Maria. Maria''s eyes were like empty ck holes that would suck anyone who pissed her off. They were that frightening. Lily''s face froze, bbergasted that she could experience this amount of fear from a mere country girl. When she had the chance, she quickly averted her gaze, not daring to look at Maria''s eyes again. Lily was so scared that she even regretted provoking Maria again and again. Maria fixed her eyes at the troublesome maid for a few more seconds before looking away. Feeling that she was finally free from Maria''s stare, Lily was about to breathe a sigh of relief. But before she could do so, she heard Maria spoke. "You can''t me me for saying that.You are being stupid, believing every word you''re told without even having a definitive proof." Hearing this, Julie blushed hard.Maria was so smart that she instantly saw through everything. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Indeed, Lily just put thoughts into Julie''s mind, and thetter just went with the flow. Moreover, Maria''s tone was so firm that Julie also realized that she was at fault. It was obvious that Maria was letting her know that she had been manipted. Therefore, Julie looked back at what happened. Was Lily just making trouble on purpose? Was she gullible enough that she became a tool for this maid''s amusement? Julie pondered for a while and realized that Maria was right all along. Of course, she was angry. But she was too proud to admit that she made a fool of herself just because she sumbed to Lily''s instigation. However, in the back of her mind, even though she was wrong, Maria still had no right to be disrespectful. In the end, Julie med Maria for being rude. She thought that there was no need to say something harsh just to point something out. Even though she was just adopted, her treatment of Julie, her adoptive mother, should still be of high regard. Thinking of all these things, Julie couldn''t help but let out an evident frown. "What are you trying to say? Lily is just worried about you.You have only been in Sheffield for a few days, but you''re now hanging out with some strangers? Do you even know their background? Anyway, as I said, you''re not leaving this house tonight!" In order to save her face, Julie insisted on criticizing Maria. it was now out of the question whether she was right or not. However, Julie couldn''t even make a straight face. Right after saying that, she blushed again, knowing that she was guilty of something. "Really? Lily is worried about me? Can I ask you two a question? When did you see me hang out with someone you don''t know?" Instead of getting angry, Maria actually felt likeughing. They were only fooling themselves if they wanted her to believe in such an obvious lie. "Miss Maria, Mrs.Jenkins is telling the truth.Although you are just new here in the Jenkins family, I care about your welfare.No, I don''t have to see you hanging out with someone we don''t know.We are just saying that you shouldn''t spend time with untrustworthy people, especially at night! Besides, you have to remember that you are engaged.People will spread nasty rumors if you are not careful." Just as Maria expected, Lily was much more shameless than Julie.She could say all these tant lies without any hesitation. In fact, she also dared to steal and sell things of the Jenkins family secretly. At this point, lying was just second nature to her. "Care? Do you even know what that word means? As far as I remember, all you did was falsely use me.That''s really a bizarre way to care about people." Maria snapped and was fed up.She was done tolerating the maid''s obnoxious behavior. While they were still conversing, the doorbell of the vi rang. Of course, Lily had to open the door to see who it was. Upon checking, she saw a tall and strong man who looked like a bodyguard. At the same time, he was pushing a wheelchair towards the front door. There was a familiar young man sitting in the wheelchair. Taking a closer look, Lily noticed that he was even more handsome than most movie stars. It was very unfortunate that he had to be a cripple. He seemed to look so pitiful being in a wheelchair, not able to do anything without somebody else''s help. But then Lily also noticed that at the gate of the vi, an extended luxury car was parking on the roadside, silently unting this man''s background. Finally, Lily realized that this person should be the former heir of the Wilson family, Anthony. This confused her a little. Someone who lost his family''s inheritance and right to session could still be this wealthy and powerful? It just showed how rich the Wilson family was. Lily couldn''t help but feel very envious about Maria''s luck. Just because of her pretty face, her life was turned around. Even though Maria was marrying a supposed loser, because his family was ridiculously wealthy, she would still be able to experience and enjoy a luxurious andfortable life. Dwelling on this thought, Lily was so jealous that she wanted to get back at Maria again. Suddenly, an evil idea shed in her mind. She would not make anything easy for Maria, and so Lily decided to pull another cheap trick. At this time, the bodyguard pushed Anthony''s wheelchair and entered the vi, while Lily guided them. Letting out a subtle sinister smile, Lily suddenly shouted in front of Maria and Julie, "Mr.Wilson, I''m d you''re here! You should speak to Miss Jenkins and talk some sense into her.She¡¯s about to go out at night and hang out with some dubious people! You have to stop her!" Chapter 44 Chapter 44 Chapter 44 His Momentum Although her voice was loud, no one looked at Lily. Even Anthony and his bodyguard, Jack,pletely ignored her. Of course, as the hostess of the vi, Julie felt embarrassed by Lily''s rude and abrupt behavior.She couldn''t believe that Lily would have the audacity to act so poorly in front of such an important guest. Even if Maria truly made a mistake, Lily shouldn''t have heedlessly exposed them to other people and brought shame to the entire Jenkins family. Now, Julie was getting uneasy.She reckoned it was highly possible that Anthony would end up canceling his engagement to Maria because of this unfortunate incident. After all, she couldn''t find herself believing the rumors that Anthony was now nothing but a useless cripple. Despite relying on his wheelchair to move around, she felt that this former heir of the Wilson family was actually hiding his real power. If she was right about him, then Julie thought that Vivian could have been too rash about not wanting to get engaged to him. Meanwhile, Maria stepped away from Julie and walked towards Anthony. "Shall we go?" As she stood in front of Anthony, Maria discreetly nced at Jack. Right then, Jack immediately understood and honored what it meant.He nodded at Maria and quickly took a few steps back. After Jack cleared the spot for her, Maria walked behind Anthony and took over the handles of the wheelchair. "Let him do it." A little surprised, Anthony slightly turned his head towards Maria. "I''m heavy.You''ll get tired and won''t enjoy the rest of the night." Despite his protest, Maria shook her head and clenched the handles. "No.I''ll take care of you tonight.Besides, you shouldn''t worry about me.I''m pretty strong.You''ll see." Anthony found it odd how Maria could be so confident.He was 6.2 feet tall, well-built man. In addition to the weight of the wheelchair, she would be pushing more than two hundred pounds of total weight. To his surprise, however, Maria pushed the wheelchair with ease.She looked like a skillful wife so used to taking care of her sick husband. Anthony couldn''t help but smile at the thought. He imagined Maria must have been practicing so she could act more naturally at the banquetter and make the guests believe that she and Anthony were engaged and in love. Of course, he appreciated how thoughtful she was. Then he remembered the day when they made a deal and she had promised to y her role dutifully for a year. "W-what''s going on?" Julie was sure that Anthony would get angry at Maria, but he didn''t even pay attention to what Lily said earlier. In the middle of her confusion, Julie''s eyes suddenly opened wide. A thought entered her mind, which might exin what was actually happening. Why was Anthony here in the first ce? Could it be that the two of them actually had ns to go out tonight? What a blunder! They used Maria of cheating behind her fiance without even asking her whom she was going out with. "By the way..." Anthony raised his right hand, gesturing Maria to stop for a moment. At the same time, Maria stopped pushing the wheelchair at his signal. Ever since Anthony arrived at the vi of the Jenkins family, he kept a gentle smile. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. However, at this moment, as his gaze shifted in the direction of Julie and Lily, the pleasant smile on his handsome face gradually disappeared. Just like when Maria got fed up with Lily earlier, it felt like the temperature suddenly dropped the moment Anthony''s expression became serious. In fact, when Lily''s gaze met his, she instantly had a strong urge to run away and save her life. She even had a hallucination that Anthony''s eyes were that of a deadly serpent.It was as if he was looking at her, a toad that should be his prey. "I made a schedule with Maria tonight to go to a certain party.But I can''t help noticing that there seems to be a misunderstanding." After a brief pause, Anthony turned to Julie and said, "Don''t worry.I''m not someone with a dubious character, and she will only be with me tonight." "Y-yes.Of course, we trust you.We just didn''t know..." Julie''s voice trailed off.She was at a loss. Anthony didn''t raise his voice, but the momentum he showed could make one weak in the knees.It was more nerve-wracking than an angry roar. Julie deemed that she should exin further to clear things out. "I''m sorry that I began to overthink.I know that Maria is very sensible and wouldn''t do anything unbing of her..." Hearing this, Anthony nodded approvingly. Eventually, a gentle smile appeared on his face again. The heavy pressure and atmosphere were also alleviated. Finally, Julie and Lily could breathe a sigh of relief. Anthony didn''t look at Lily again, but instead cast a casual nce at Jack. Afterward, Maria started pushing the wheelchair again until they got out of the house. When Maria and Anthony were out of sight, Jack turned around. "Mrs.Jenkins, the homemakingpany where your maid works at is actually under the Wilson Group.We regret to tell you that after seeing her poor performance and service to the Jenkins family...Thepany shall dismiss her, and withdraw all her qualifications and honorary title." Chapter 45 Chapter 45 Chapter 45 At The Banquet A temporary stage was set on the terrace on the thirty-sixth floor of Viton Hotel.It was beautifully decorated with flowers and colorful lights from both states of the art bulbs and LEDs. Vivian just finished her rehearsal.She sang so beautifully that some guests who arrived before the party looked at her with so much admiration. It was almost as if her voice had a mesmerizing effect.But she was still not satisfied with it.She thought to herself that distinguished guests normally came to this kind of event a littlete. They were the real ones she wanted to impress. So she had to be nothing short of perfection! The only way that the night could be a memorable one for her was if she captured literally everyone''s attention. By doing so, her chances of bing more than just an actress in a small- budget online drama would be very high. This brought a wide smile to Vivian''s face. All of a sudden, thoughts of Maria came to her mind.But it wasn''t out of love or affection. On the contrary, Vivian was entertaining herself with the idea that Maria had to end up with the disabled, pathetic Anthony. Anthony was no longer the heir of the Wilson family and he had nothing. Maria and her husband would now have to depend on measly handouts from the family business to make ends meet. It soon urred to Vivian that Maria was originally a country bumpkin who had nothing, and her life would still be better than it used to be after she married Anthony, even though the man had lost everything. The mere thought of this greatly displeased Vivian.She was of the opinion that Maria didn''t deserve such a future. After putting a lot of things into consideration, she eventually decided to be a tolerant and generous winner by letting Maria off this time. "Miss Jenkins, you sang amazingly just now." A young man walked up to Vivian and paid her apliment smilingly. "If I may ask, have you undergone any form of professional training?" "Hello Mr.Davis!" She nodded politely in response to what he said. "I''m Professor Lydia Clemens¡¯ student." The man in question was Mn Davis, the fourth son of the current CEO of Davis Group, one of the top fifty enterprises in the country. Thepany had a strong capital that was much stronger than Bill''s business to say the least. Mn was not the heir of Davis Group since his mother wasn''t married to his father.She was only his mistress. Vivian knew who he was.She was also aware of the fact that he could only live on the share dividend of the Davis Group all his life. And this made her lose interest in him. "Ah! You learn from Lydia Clemens? That simply means you are exceptional, Miss Jenkins.Else, such a renowned artist wouldn''t have agreed to be your teacher." Mn knew that he was not a catch among girls in the upper ss. In order topensate for that, he became a smooth talker. Whenever he was holding a conversation with a girl he liked, he would make up for his weakness with eloquence. That was a readily avable trick up his sleeves. "Thank you, Mr.Davis.It has always been my goal to be a qualified actress and singer." Even though Vivian did her best to be courteous, she was intentionally distant while they were having the conversation.She didn''t want to give Mn a chance.But he wasn''t one to give up easily.So he kept on ttering her. After being persistent for nearly ten minutes, he sessfully got Vivian''s number. Immediately the expression on his face changed.He was so overjoyed that it almost locked like he had just found a treasure. Mn might not be on the list of guys Vivian liked, but he was an affable person. And all hispliments and smooth talking made her very happy. The banquet tonight was nominally hosted by the Film and Television Association of Sheffield. The guests present were all big shots from the industry, including popr directors and actors. In fact, the real purpose of this event was to entertain the families of the creme de creme while hoping to find capable and willing investors. At first, Vivian was surrounded by many people. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. And she was very excited about that.She took her time to prepare for the party. The elegant dress and exquisite makeup she was wearing made her look delectable. As a result, many single men were attracted to her. After a while, more and more actresses began to make their arrival. Vivian was no match for them in terms of poprity.So it wasn''t long before she stopped being the center of attention. A certain female star--Lyndsey Mosby-- was the one virtually everybody was drawn to.It was as if she was spotlighted. "One of these days, I will be more popr than she is!" Vivian vowed to herself while staring at Lyndsey.She saw several heirs of the powerful families around Lyndsey. They were all talking andughing. These men were Vivian''s targets, but not for once did they take a look at her.She burned from jealousy as a result of that. It got to a point when she didn''t want to be sidelined anymore. Being the determined youngdy that she was, she decided to grab the bull by the horn. So Vivian picked up her ss and boldly walked toward Lyndsey and the men. Chapter 46 Chapter 46 Chapter 46 Want To Be The Best Friend Of The Best Actress Vivian walked up to Lyndsey and greeted her in a very warm and friendly manner. "Hi, Lyndsey! it''s really nice to see you here." While she was talking, Vivian caught a glimpse of the three young men standing close to Lyndsey one after the other. Their names were Walt Cotton, Stephen Morgan, and Allen Pattison. They were respectively the heir of the Cotton family and the Morgan family of Sheffield, as well as the Pattison family of Broome. Despite Allen''s family¡¯s influence in the capital city, he preferred to live in Sheffield for reasons best known to him. "I don''t think we''ve met before, have we?" Lyndsey asked. She didn''t have the faintest clue about who Vivian was. But havinge across a lot of people in the course of her career as a popr actress, it didn''t take long for her to see through the strange woman in front of her. Lyndsey concluded that Vivian was just making an excuse to talk to her for the sake of the three rich men present. It wasn''t in Lyndsey''s nature to put up with such a pretentious and pushy person. But just when she was about to teach Vivian an unforgettable lesson, she was asked a question which made her stop and think. "Don''t you remember me? I am also an actress with Yeez Entertainment." The expression on Vivian''s face changed.She pouted her lips pitifully.It looked as if she felt bad for not being recognized. "Lam Vivian Jenkins." Immediately Lyndsey heard those words, she paused briefly. "Did you just say Jenkins?" She decided to cut Vivian some ck. Apparently, it was because of her surname. Since thest time Lyndsey manage to meet Mia in person, she had wanted to know more about her. As a result, she had been constantly pestering Jeremy in order to get some information from him. After being persistent for a while, her effort finally paid off. Jeremy told her all the details she needed, including Mia''s address in Sheffield.But that was after Maria''s approval. "Of course it''s you, Vivian!" Lyndsey grinned from ear to ear. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. From the look of things, she was talking to Mia''s less famous sister. And that pleased her a great deal. In fact, she felt an urge to give Vivian a huge hug right away. Lyndsey thought that getting along with Vivian would probably make it much easier for her to meet with Mia in the future. Who would have believed that Lyndsey Mosby, the pride of Yeez Entertainment, was actually a crazy fan of the adopted daughter of the Jenkins family? This came as aplete shock to Vivian. Initially, it took a lot of nerve for her to approach Lyndsey boldly. She thought that things might not go smoothly and that way, she would have embarrassed herself by causing a scene.But that wasn''t the case. On the contrary, Lyndsey became so excited to see her. It almost seemed like they had been friends with each other forever! Was it because Lyndsey liked her performance in that web series? Vivian couldn''t help asking herself the question. Well, it''d be awesome for her to be close friends with one of the best actresses in the country! While Vivian thought of this, the smile on her face became wider. "Do you mind introducing her properly?" Allen asked out of curiosity. "Alright,"Lyndsey replied. "Allen, Walt and Stephen, meet Vivian." She was very familiar with the men.So they called each other by their first names. Nheless, Allen was closest to her. "She is my colleague and also an actress with Yeez Entertainment.She is from the Jenkins family in Sheffield." The men nodded their heads awkwardly while she spoke. "Jenkins? Was there such a family in the local upper ss?" They asked in their minds. As a matter of fact, none of them had any idea about the name.But they still showed Lyndsey some respect by greeting Vivian in an affable manner. "Hey, Vivian, you are a native of Sheffield, aren''t you? How many people are there in your family?" Lyndsey couldn''t wait to shift the topic to her idol, Maria.So she turned to Vivian again and started with simple questions, trying to get more information about Maria from her. "Just my father, mother and I, that''s all," Vivian replied without hesitation. It had be something of a habit to exclude Maria whenever she talked about her family. Why didn''t she mention Maria''s name? Lyndsey felt confused. Did Vivian totally forget about her sister? Did she do it on purpose? Lyndsey was surprised. Didn''t Maria deserve to be a member of the Jenkins family because she was adopted? Chapter 47 Chapter 47 Chapter 47 A Ruthless Sister Lyndsey was a little unhappy, but she tried to convince herself that Vivian just made a slip of the tongue. Trying to fish for more information, she patiently asked, "Is there anyone else in your family besides your father and mother? Perhaps, a brother or a sister?" Since Maria was going to rece Vivian to marry Anthony, the Jenkins family had no choice but to publicly admit her identity. Knowing this, Vivian nodded. "Yes.I do have an elder sister." There wasn''t the least excitement in Vivian''s tone. In fact, there was even a hint of disapproval in it, as if she didn''t want to admit that she actually had a sibling. As an observant and smart woman, Lyndsey immediately noticed this, making her eyes narrow slightly. Why would she say it that way? Were they not happy that Maria was there? Or rather, were they giving Maria a hard time as her new family? Thinking that it might be the case, Lyndsey felt heartbroken. Of course, she couldn''t just jump to any conclusions. Hence, she decided to confirm what the situation was. Out of nowhere, Lyndsey said, "Oh, aren''t you lucky? I''m an only child, and I''ve always wanted a sister.So tell me, what kind of person is your elder sister? Do you get along well with her?" At first, assuming that Lyndsey was getting interested in her, Vivian''s heart began to race.She thought that Lyndsey was trying to be friends with her. Of course, this was an opportunity that Vivian wouldn''t let slip her hands. However, after hearing thetter part of Lyndsey''s sentence, Vivian''s heart sank. In the end, it was still about Maria. Why was everyone more interested in her sister? it was such a hard pill to swallow. "My elder sister? She grew up in a small town near the countryside and didn''t receive a good education.It pains me to say it, but she is practically uneducated and very rude.Right after she moved into our house here in Sheffield, we started losing things at home..." Vivian was actually referring to the incidents involving Jadee and the flour. Although Maria''s name was cleared in both instances, Vivian didn''t care about the truth. In her mind, Maria would always be the troublemaker. Moreover, speaking ill of her sister could always make her tremendously happy, so she would continue to do so. However, when Lyndsey heard this, she immediately felt that something was wrong. After all, it didn''t make sense. Why would someone like Maria, a very intellectual person, steal things from the Jenkins family? It was ridiculous and inlyughable. Besides, the Jenkins family couldn''t even bepared to the really wealthy and influential families. A famous author of several masterpieces coveting things from an average family? Lyndsey would bet her life that it wasn''t true. What kind of treasure could they possibly own to make Maria do such a thing? Furthermore, even if Maria happened to be short on money, Jeremy would always be willing to provide her with whatever she needed. That was justmon sense. After all, Yeez Entertainment''s sess today was entirely due to the author Mia. She entrusted her magnificent works to Jeremy, and he did his best to give justice in directing these strokes of genius. Because of Maria, Yeez Entertainment eventually became the leader in the domestic film and television industry. Behind it all, Jeremy owed everything to her. "Hey, Lyndsey.Can I add you on WhatsApp?" Vivian asked fawningly while quickly taking her phone out of her bag. She was so focused on getting it that she didn''t notice that Lyndsey''s face had already turned ice cold. Lyndsey cast a disdainful nce at Vivian and had lost respect for her. "Let''s go." Acting like she didn''t hear what Vivian said just now, Lyndsey called her friends and started walking away. The three men were sensible enough to instantly realize the change in Lyndsey''s mood. They could clearly see with their eyes how disgusted she was with Vivian. Right after taking her phone out, Vivian was stunned to see Lyndsey and her friends leave abruptly.She furrowed her brows, not knowing what was going on.She thought that they were having a good conversation just now. What made Lyndsey suddenly leave? In her denial, Vivian assumed that Lyndsey just had something important to deal with.She wouldn''t sulk just because of that. After all, it was normal for famous celebrities to have a hectic schedule. She still concluded that Lyndsey made friends with her and that from now on, she was on another level compared to other ordinary actresses. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Believing her own wishful thinking, Vivian watched Lyndsey''s back with a bright smile on her face. At the same time, several guests had seen the scene just now. They weren''t able to hear their conversation, so some misunderstood as well. They assumed that Vivian and Lyndsey had a close rtionship. One of these people was Mn Davis, who osted Vivian earlier. At this time, he had put on a more courteous smile while holding a ss of wine. He thought of seizing this opportunity to approach Vivian again. However, when Vivian''s eyes inadvertently wandered towards the entrance of the banquet hall, she happened to see a very familiar figure. It was Maria. She couldn''t help but grit her teeth, thinking about why her sister was in this kind of event. Chapter 48 Chapter 48 Chapter 48 Why Are You Here Maria didn¡¯t know that the banquet hall was on the thirty-sixth floor until they arrived at the Viton Hotel. "It''s so high up?" Maria asked curiously as she pushed Anthony''s wheelchair into the elevator, followed closely by Jack. "There is still some time before the banquet officially begins.We can go to my suite and rest for a while," Anthony suggested. When the elevator doors opened on the thirty-sixth floor, Jack led the way.He took out a key card and opened Suite 3601 for the couple. Suite 3601 was a presidential suite on the same floor as the banquet hall. It was exclusive to Anthony all year around, which means that he coulde and stay here as he liked at any time. The presidential suite was as luxuriously decorated and furnished as a pce would be. The floor was lined with soft, four-inch-thick carpet. If someone stepped on it barefoot, they would feel like they were walking on a cloud. Watching Maria walk into the presidential suite, Jack decided that even if her reaction was a bit unrefined, he would pretend like he didn''t notice anything. After all, she grew up in a small town and could not have been to such a high- end hotel before, let alone the presidential suite. It was hardly a few secondster when he discovered that his worry was unnecessary. Maria walked into the grand presidential suite with an air of indifference, as if she was walking into her own home. There was not the slightest hint of surprise or awe on her face. Her beautiful eyes were as calm as ake, as if all the opulent things in front of her weren''t even worth mentioning. "I''m hungry.Can I get something to eat first?" Maria suddenly asked. Jack was rendered speechless.No matter what, it was odd that Maria wasn''t overwhelmed or intimidated by the presidential suite at all. Rather, the first thought in her head seemed to be satisfying her hunger. "Well, Miss Jenkins, the banquet hall is on the right side of the corridor.Shall I bring you some food?" Jack asked carefully. Maria shook her head. "That won''t be necessary.I can do it myself." She had been taking care of herself since she was a child, and didn''t feelfortable letting anyone serve her. "What about you? Are you hungry? What would you like to eat?" Being a considerate woman, Maria didn''t forget her fiance, Anthony. "Just bring me a bit of whatever you''re eating, thank you," Anthony replied simply.He was still sitting in the wheelchair,mitted to his act. Jack inwardly heaved a sigh, seeing how polite and respectful the two of them were towards each other. He had never seen his boss like this before. Maria left the suite and walked towards the banquet hall naturally, as if she had been here many times before. As soon as she entered the hall, all eyes turned to her. As with any banquet, most of the guests here were looking to make new connections and associate themselves with powerful people. So any time a new guest entered the hall, everyone present would turn towards them to size them up. Judging from Maria''s in clothing, all the guests concluded that she couldn''t be anyone powerful or influential. If anything, she looked like she came from a normal family. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. As quickly as they had turned to Maria, they turned away, although a few of the men had to admit that they were awestruck by her beauty. Of course, there was no way they could stoop to talking to a moner" like Maria, but they couldn''t help stealing nces at her from time to time, either. The long buffet table, which had been custom-made for the asion, was lined with mouthwatering dishes. Ignoring the gazes of the other guests, Maria grabbed a te and began filling it with food. When the te was full, she took another te and proceeded to fill it with the same dishes. "Hey! What are you doing here?" There came an arrogant voice all of a sudden. Maria looked back and saw Vivian walking towards her. "You''d better speak to your elder sister with respect," Maria said nonchntly before turning back to the food, as if Vivian didn''t deserve any more of her attention. "Elder sister? Please!" Vivian scoffed. "You were jealous that I coulde to this party, so you begged Mom for her invitation, right? Maria, you always act like you''re better than everyone, but now your true colors are showing." Julie had offered her invitation to Maria, but Maria had refused. Now, seeing Maria now, Vivian immediately assumed that Maria was only able to enter the banquet hall because of Julie''s invitation. Maria said one thing and did another. What a hypocrite! Chapter 49 Chapter 49 Chapter 49 Forgot The Lines Maria had already filled both tes with abination of meat and vegetables which looked absolutely appetizing. "I''m here with Anthony," she said to Vivian. "If you don''t believe me, you cane with me to meet him. After all, he''ll soon be your brother-inw." "Anthony?" Vivian echoed softly. She hade here to belittle Maria, but instead seemed to have fallen into a trap.She had never met Anthony in person before, neither did she want to! She was still riding high after being the lead actress of Yeez Entertainment''s new web series. And now, with Patricia''s help, she had clinched a role in thepany''s new show -- Legend of Anne.She even seemed to be best friends with Lyndsey now.In her view, her career was about to soar.She would be a fool to meet her ex- fiance now. No! Anthony was just a random man to her.She had never been engaged to anyone. As far as the fans and media knew, she had never been in a rtionship with anyone! "No, thanks.I have something else to do.Goodbye." After mumbling that in a hurry, Vivian raced away as if she was afraid to be even seen with Maria. Maria shrugged, returned to Suite 3601, and set the te down in front of Anthony. "I didn''t know what you like to eat, so I just randomly picked some dishes." Maria''s voice was soft, but it was hard to pinpoint whether it was indifferent for gentle. "In Jack''s eyes, her voice was soft and pleasing, which went well with his boss''s deep and mellow voice. "Thank you," Anthony said politely, and then the two of them began to eat. For the next few minutes, the presidential suite waspletely quiet except for the asional sound of knives and forks scraping against the tes. Standing aside, Jack watched the couple having dinner in muted wonder.He felt like he was looking at an oil painting that hade to life, bringing an inexplicable sense of peace to his mind. Even he was shocked that a mundane sight like two people eating together could evoke such an emotion in him. After all, he was the kind of man who wouldn''t set foot in a gallery even if someone paid him to.He couldn''t believe he was actually admiring the silent scene. Anthony and Maria finished dinner just as the banquet was about to begin. "Let''s go," Anthony said, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "Okay." Maria stood up and walked over to the back of his wheelchair. Holding the handles, she pushed him out of the suite and towards the banquet hall. Still rooted to his spot, Jack once again felt the whole thing bizarre. While other guests were all busy socializing with one another, Anthony and Maria actually had a lovely dinner! nt "Seems like only Mr.Wilson and Miss Jenkins respected the hard work of the : hotel chef tonight," Jack muttered to himself. At this time, Vivian was standing in another side of the banquet hall, starting {to feel nervous. The banquet was officially underway. There was a piano solo performance on the stage now. Once that was finished, it would be her turn to sing. A few of the guests were looking at the stage and enjoying the music, but most of them were busy making new friends. Vivian nced around and, to her delight, found Lyndsey standing not far away.She could barely conceal her excitement as she waved at her. Unfortunately, Lyndsey didn''t seem to notice her at all. Despite that, Vivian wasn''t fazed; she still felt that she had be close with Lyndsey now. Vivian''s gaze swept over the rest of the banquet hall and inadvertently fell on the entrance, where she saw Maria pushing a wheelchair in. There was a man sitting in the wheelchair, but the light at the entrance was rather dim that Vivian couldn''t see his face clear. But even though the man was seated, his tall figure and domineering aura couldn''t be hidden. Vivian knew at once that this man must be Anthony. Even at first nce, he seemed somewhat...extraordinary. No, no, no. This was ridiculous! A disinherited heir with broken legs didn''t deserve her attention at all. She didn''t want to have to push him around in a wheelchair everywhere they went. Thinking of this, Vivian smiled again. She felt as if she could already see their entirely different fates side by side: thetter half of Maria''s life would be miserable taking care of a cripple, while she, Vivian, would be enjoying fame and glory, holding a prized trophy under the spotlight. Soon, the piano performance ended, punctuated with scattered apuse from the audience. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Taking a deep breath, Vivian walked onto the stage and stood in front of the microphone. The music began. The stage overlooked the rest of the banquet hall. As Maria continued to push Anthony into the banquet hall, thetter''s face was gradually illuminated by the light. As the beautiful prelude of the song yed in the background, Vivian finally saw Anthony''s face clearly. The extent of how handsome his facial features were could not be described in words. At the same time, Vivian noticed the masters and heirs of rich and powerful families, top-ss stars, and famous directors all gathering around Maria and Anthony. What were they doing? Why were they all looking at Anthony instead of her? Vivian was stunned, but she didn''t have any time to think about it. Her mouth opened subconsciously in sync with the music, but she found that she had forgotten the lines.os I Chapter 50 Chapter 50 Chapter 50 Aunt Patricia Is The Best The music continued ying in the background, but by the time Vivian came to her senses, it was too late for her to start singing. Exasperated with her mistake, the host of the banquet ordered the emcee to usher Vivian off the stage. Meanwhile, the band skillfully transitioned into ying a piece of trio chamber music as if that was the n all along. All the guests present were dignitaries, and of course wouldn''t make a fuss about such a trifle. Even so, as the host of the banquet, people from the Film and Television Association felt very embarrassed. "Aunt Patricia, I..." Vivian was at a loss for words when she saw Patricia walking towards her. Patricia had just been scolded by the director of the Film and Television Association, so she couldn''t even force a kind smile at this moment. "Don''t say anything.Let''s go," she said in a low voice. Although Patricia doted a lot on Vivian, she was still a rational woman.She knew that it would only be more humiliating for her and Vivian if they continued to stay at the banquet. "Go?! But the banquet just started.You haven''t introduced me to all those investors and directors yet," Vivian protested unhappily. She hadn''t expected the cost of her blunder on stage to be so high. "Silly girl.What''s the point of introducing you to them now? They will only have a bad impression of you.Let''s go," Patricia exined, but with a hint of irritation and reproach in her tone. Only then did Vivian realize how serious the situation was. Once again, her gaze was attracted to all the people crowding around the wheelchair. As she stared at the woman pushing the wheelchair, she couldn''t help but tremble in anger. Maria! It was all her fault.Why did she have to attend this banquet? It was her presence that had distracted Vivian from her performance. Vivian couldn''t help but think that Maria must have done it on purpose. After all, she had entered the banquet hall with Anthony just as Vivian''s performance had started.It was too much of a coincidence. When Vivian noticed Maria talking to Lyndsey, her hatred intensified. As for the impably handsome face of the man sitting in the wheelchair, it brewedplicated feelings in Vivian''s heart. Pressing her lips into a thin line, Vivian reluctantly followed Patricia all the way to the parking lot of the hotel. It was only after making sure that they were all alone that Patricia turned to speak to Vivian. "Vivian, why did you make a mistake just now? The banquet is such an important asion.Didn''t I repeatedly tell you to bring your best performance?" Upon hearing this, Vivian''s eyes turned redder. "Aunt Patricia, it''s all because of Maria.She made such a big scene and distracted me from my performance!" Vivianined. Patricia was silent for a moment. It had not escaped her notice that upon Anthony''s arrival, several of the most important guests at the banquet had taken the initiative to go and greet this former heir of the Wilson Group. There was no doubt that the Wilson family was unimaginably wealthy. However, could a former sessor who had fallen from grace still hold such an important position? Patricia wasn''t that smart and insightful after all, and she just couldn''t figure out what was going on. Perhaps it was nothing but friendship between young people. Anthony seemed to be on good terms with the heirs of other rich families. Whatever it was, Patricia knew one thing for sure: Anthony was no longer the sessor of the Wilson Group. That was why she had been against letting Vivian get engaged to him in the first ce. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Comforted by that thought, Patricia shoved aside her worries about Anthony''s influence and came back to the problem at hand. "Vivian, never mention what happened today, or you will continue to embarrass yourself.Anyway, you already have a role in the Legend of Anne.As long as everything goes well, I will do my best to make you famous!" Patricia promised earnestly. As a member of the Film and Television Association and an actor in the field for over twenty years, she undoubtedly had the power and influence to help a neer like Vivian. It was only after hearing these words that Vivian felt like she could breathe again. Sighing, she held Patricia''s arm and confessed, "Aunt Patricia, sometimes I feel that you take care of me better than my own mother does." Patricia smiled and gently stroked Vivian''s head. She whispered, "Silly girl.No one can love you more than your own mother." Chapter 51 Chapter 51 Chapter 51 Invited The Top Master "Anthony, long time no see!" At the corner of the banquet hall, the most distinguished guests for the night ¡ªWalt, Stephen, and Allen¡ªwere gathered. Many of the attendees hoped to befriend the three of them tonight. However, seeing them hiding from the spotlight, they understood that these noble guests didn''t want to be disturbed. When Anthony joined them, Allen felt a little nervous as he respectfully poured him a ss of wine.He tried his best to keep himself from showing his unease, but only after seeing Anthony drink the wine he offered did he manage to breathe a sigh of relief. Maria had very keen eyes.She would notice any slight change in expression or eye movement. Hence, Allen''s behavior didn''t escape her eyes. In fact, she even saw him ncing at Anthony''s legs from time to time. Besides Allen, the other two young men also appeared to be incredibly amodating of Anthony. They were all sitting up straight across from him as if they were trainees in the military, listening attentively to theirmanding officer. Among them, only Lyndsey looked rxed. Although this was her first time meeting Anthony, she wasn''t too curious about him as much as she paid attention to Maria. "Everyone, this is Maria Jenkins." Anthony finally broke the ufortable silence between them with his casual yet indifferent tone. "My fiancee." Ever since he joined them at the table, Walt, Stephen, and Allen had been specting who the girl was and couldn''t help but marvel at her beautiful face. If she was only gorgeously dressed up like the other female guests, they could have easily guessed that they were indeed in a rtionship. However, inparison to the stunning evening dresses around, Maria appeared very simple. Even if she was personally pushing the wheelchair for Anthony, it was inevitable that people could regard her as just his assistant. "Hello, Miss Jenkins.My name is Walt Cotton.You can just call me Walt." "A pleasure to meet you, Miss Jenkins.I''m Stephen Morgan.Feel free to call me Stephen." Although they were very enthusiastic in introducing themselves to Maria, their movements were still gentle and aristocratic. The next second, they both pointed at Allen and synchronously uttered, "This man right here is Allen Pattison.Just call him Allen." As they introduced Allen, Maria''s gaze shifted towards him. Seeing this, Allen got a little embarrassed. With a nervous smile, he greeted, "Nice to meet you, Miss Jenkins.You can call me whatever you''re comfortable with." Maria felt quite at ease.She could definitely tell that these men genuinely respected her. But of course, she also realized that it was solely because of their reverence for Anthony. How could people say that this man was a loser? Looking at Anthony with slightly narrowed eyes, Maria thought that anyone who believed this rumor must be a fool. "Anthony...I actually ced a job request to Heaven." Out of nowhere, Allen spoke in a serious tone. Although the famous organization was mentioned, Maria was not surprised. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. After all, it was well known in the country, especially for rich and powerful people. With Allen''s family background, it wasn''t much of a shock that they could be one of Heaven''s clients. On the other hand, Anthony didn''t say anything and just looked at Allen quietly. "I specifically stated that I want a top master to take the job.I want it to be either Master M or Master Night.As long as one of those two can do the investigation...I will definitely find out which member of the Pattison family has colluded with the traitor from the Wilson family to hurt you!" It was onlymon that even though the masters and sessors of the top ns were generally in good terms with each other,petition would always exist among them. Allen was poised to be the sessor of the Pattison family in Broome. But before he could officially take over his family business, he didn''t have the final say in various matters. Besides, he had been away from Broome for quite a long time, and his authority and position was gradually marginalized. Therefore, back then he had no idea the Pattison family nned to do something against Anthony and the Wilson family. Even if he did, he probably wasn''t able to prevent the tragedy. "Allen, oh my god! Did you really ce an order, requesting those two top masters to do it? I wonder if one of them will take it." Walt was surprised at Allen''s initiative to take this matter in his own hands. Stephen also voiced his sentiments, "I know that your family is dissatisfied with your friendship with Anthony.So, I''m also sure that they are being very strict with your financially.Do you have enough money to pay for themission of one of those two masters?" Out of concern, Stephen handed a card to Allen. "Here, take this." Understanding the situation Allen was currently in, Walt also took out a card and offered it to Allen. Looking at this touching scene, Maria couldn''t help but subtly purse her lips.She felt a bit embarrassed that she wasn''t taking any jobs from Heaven for some time now. Since she couldn''t ept the request, they could only rely to the other top master there.The question was, would Master Night take the job? Chapter 52 Chapter 52 Chapter 52 The Age Of Master M In the middle of their discussion, a thought came to Allen''s mind.So he said, "Miss Jenkins may not know much about Heaven.Let''s just talk about something else." Walt and Stephen couldn''t agree more. They had also noticed it from the look on her face. Of course, the men had been conversant with the famous hacker organization was for a long time. Recently, Lyndsey got to know something about it as well. But it didn''t seem possible for someone like Maria to have the faintest clue pertaining to the existence of the said organization.She may have thought that they were referring to the actual heaven where God and his angels lived. How could they talk about something that Maria didn''t understand? Why didn''t it ur to them that she could be embarrassed as a result of that? Damn it! Allen lowered his head in shame. Walt and Stephen also realized it really wasn''t the gentlemanly thing to do. "You know what? It doesn''t matter.Let''s go on with our conversation." Anthony looked at them. Allen and the others paused for a second. Then it dawned on them that they had been a little too worried.From the look of things, Anthony and Maria had a good rtionship.It was very likely that he shared some--if not all--of his secrets with her. Allen heaved a sigh. That was such a relief! Now he could feel free to continue talking! Then he said, "I did ce an order.But it''s highly likely I might just be refused by the two masters..." "Why is that so?" Lyndsey''s curiosity got the better of her. "Didn''t you pay enough money?" While she was still talking, she opened her bag and searched for her bank card. "This has nothing to do with money." Allen shook his head. "The thing is, I didn''t even get a reply from Master Night." He looked at her and continued. "As for Master M, rumor has it that she is dating someone now and it''s pretty serious.Therefore her hacking business has been ced on hold for the time being." What he said about her business being suspended was correct.But she definitely wasn''t seeing anyone. Maria felt wronged by what she just heard. Despite that, she didn''t say a word. "I''ve heard that the personal information of the hackers of Heaven is top secret," Anthony said to Allen. "Those are just baseless rumors.No one knows what Master M really has been up to these days." He paused for a second. Then he added, "Heaven doesn''t only take orders from regr people, it also bears the task of protecting domesticwork security and resisting the invasion of foreign hackers.This implies that someone like Master M must be saddled with a lot of responsibility.She wouldn''t close her business if she didn''t have a good reason to do so." Maria looked at Anthony. Obviously he didn''t know her identity in Heaven.But she liked the way he protected her. Actually, another reason that she decided to take some time off from the organization was that she had something important to do in Sheffield. "Did you just say ¡®she¡¯? So a female hacker?" Lindsey was interested in Master M''s gender. "That''s just incredible! ''m so proud of her.I wonder how old she is.If only we could be best friends." "I don''t think that''s possible.Master M is probably twenty years older than you." Walt looked at Lyndsey and said smilingly. "You''ve got to be kidding me! I thought she was about the same age as me," Lyndsey replied.She couldn''t hide her disappointment. Walt seemed to know a lot about Heaven.He began to tell Lyndsey about it. "The top hackers like Master M and Master Night can readily defeat the others with their vast knowledge and technology.They must have devoted so much time and effort to be so proficient.Once, the staff of Heaven made a guess that they ought to be between the ages of forty and sixty." Lyndsey retorted disapprovingly, "Isn''t there a chance that Master M is just very talented? She may not be as old as they think she is." Before Walt said anything, Stephen shook his head.He wasn''t in agreement with what Lyndsey said. "No, that can''t be.There is reliable evidence that these two masters both deal with the business of Heaven only in their spare time.In other words, they must y important roles in different fields.A person who can make all these achievements at the same time can''t be a young girl." "That''s a fair point." Lyndsey was convinced.She kept quiet for a couple of seconds before suddenly asking, "Master M, who on earth are you? Why are you so awesome?" Maria scratched her nose awkwardly when she heard them talking about her as well as the questions from Lyndsey.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Chapter 53 Chapter 53 Chapter 53 The Director The most famous director of Yeez Entertainment, Francis Jackson, was also invited to this banquet.He actually had no interest in parties like this, so he usually refused dozens of invitations every year. Instead of having those celebrities buttering him up, he would rather lock himself up in the studio and modify script lines of the roles to make the show perfect. Tonight, however, Francis made an exception and attended the banquet since he hit a bottleneck in his study on the script of the Legend of Anne.He had been feeling frustrated and even a little dizzy from working for too long. After all, he was stressing over the possibility that he might not perfectly present Mia''s work in front of the camera. Because of this, he decided to take a break and dpress at the banquet. Although, if truth be told, he would actually much rather talk to Mia herself as soon as possible. He knew that the only way he could get out of his current predicament was to discuss it with her. After all, she was the author of the Legend of Anne. Whenever Francis thought of her face, he still couldn''t believe that the young girl with such a breathtakingly beautiful face was actually the mysterious writer he worshiped. Even if she wasn''t a writer, he reckoned her entire appearance could still bring her to rise to fame if she entered the entertainment industry. At the thought of this, Francis picked up a ss of champagne and idly scanned the banquet hall. Then, his eyes suddenly opened wide. Unexpectedly, he saw a familiar figure.It was as if the gods had answered his prayers. Just when his desire to see Maria got so intense, she appeared before his eyes.It was really her. Francis was so sure because Lyndsey was with her again.She was sitting next to Maria, looking at her with such a ttering smile. Of course, now that his wish was granted, he would grab it without hesitation. Therefore, mustering his courage, Francis walked steadily towards Maria. "Ahem!" As soon as he approached the table, Francis coughed to get their attention. Halting their conversation, the four men looked at Francis and easily recognized him. After all, he often appeared on entertainment news being a famous veteran director.Not knowing what Francis¡¯ intention was, they looked at each other. Allen initially thought that Francis was here for either one of them. On the other hand, Walt assumed that he might have wanted to talk to Lyndsey. Finally, Stephen was sure that the director only wanted to be acquaintances with Anthony. "Mr.Jackson, fancy meeting you here.What can I do for you?" Lyndsey asked, also guessing that Francis came to discuss something with her. However, Francis ignored her. Instead, his fervent stare was directed at Maria, as if he was ready to confess his love to her at any time. "Pardon my intrusion, but I have something important to tell you." Francis was indeed a great director with a strong personality.He went straight to the point without even a shred of hesitation. However, Allen, Walt, and Stephen didn''t take it as a good sign. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. In fact, they panicked and screamed in their minds.They nced at Anthony first to see his reaction, before they worriedly turned their heads to Francis. What was he thinking, speaking so seriously like this? Was he tantly going to try and steal Maria? Of course, it wouldn''t sit well with Anthony. They could just silently pray that he wouldn''t be too brutal with Francis. While they were still worried about Francis¡¯ fate, Anthony spoke calmly. "Director Francis Jackson, right? May I ask what your business with my fiancee is?" The expression on Francis¡¯ face didn''t change much. After all, he didn''t care much about Maria''s personal life, let alone her engagement.He just wanted to talk with her about the script of the Legend of Anne. Out of politeness, he looked at Anthony and greeted, "You are Mia''s fiance? Nice to meet you.But if I may, I just have something important to discuss with her.I may need to steal some of her time." Francis¡¯ tone sounded a bit anxious but tough.It was as if he wouldn''t take no for an answer. But even so, Lyndsey could swear that this was already the most approachable tone that she ever heard from Francis. However, these people didn''t know him as much as she did.She was worried that he might have offended a powerful man without realizing it. Lyndsey also didn''t know Anthony on a personal level, but she was a very smart woman to gauge what type of person he was. Judging from the attitude exhibited by Allen, Walt, and Stephen toward Anthony, this man, who was sitting in the wheelchair, was definitely not someone who should be provoked. Anthony indeed had the capacity to make things difficult for Francis on the spot. But while Lyndsey was also worried about what might happen to Francis, Anthony suddenly smiled. Unexpectedly, it was as gentle as the spring breeze. "My fiancee is an independent girl.You don''t need to ask for my permission if you want to talk with her about something.Besides, I trust her enough that I don''t meddle with her affairs.I just support whatever she does..." Chapter 54 Chapter 54 Chapter 54 Maria''s New Job Anthony seemed to be more polite than he was supposed to be. As a result, even Francis thought that he was a nice young man. Allen, Lyndsey, and the others also noticed what was going on. They thought that Anthony was simply doting on Maria. "This connection between Maria and Anthony is nothing but true love." The other three men present had once again reached an agreement as if they could read each other''s mind. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. "Shall we go over there and have a word?" Maria asked when she caught sight of the excitement in Francis¡¯ eyes. After that, she stood up and both of them walked towards a quiet corner. Maria didn''t seem surprised. After all, why else would Francise to her if not for the script of the Legend of Anne? "Hey! Hold on a second!" It seemed that Walt had suddenly realized something.He pointed at Maria''s back as she walked away. "Is it me or did Mr.Jackson really just call Miss Jenkins ''Mia''? Did the rest of you hear the same thing I heard?" Walt was a fan of films and television dramas.He would never miss an interesting episode or novel. There was a bookshelf in his study specially arranged for the collection of Mia''s works. These included books, DVDs of films, derivative music works and TV series among others. At the same time, something came to Stephen''s mind as well.This made his countenance change. "You''ve got to be joking right now! Is she really Mia? That means she is my father, mother, and pretty much every one of my rtives¡¯ idol!" Mia''s works appealed to a wide range of audiences.It didn''t matter if it was in the hands of a man or woman. Both the old and young could rte to it. Allen''s face flushed with excitement.He was a big fan of hers.But not once did it cross his mind that his idol would be his best friend''s fiancee. In the face of the questioning eyes of the crowd, Anthony remained calm. Of course he knew who Mia was. What he didn''t know was that she was the same person as Maria. Anthony was surprised.But he maintained his calm disposition as if he had known it all along.He said casually, "Writing is just her side line." This was something he was absolutely sure about. When the others saw how calm Anthony was, they admired Maria even more. They thought that the story between Maria and Anthony was very simr to that of Cindere and the prince.Be that as it may, none of them ever imagined that she was a big shot as well. This shocked them and made them admire Maria a lot. Meanwhile, at the quiet corner of the banquet hall, Francis made a proposal. "Mia, oh no, Miss Jenkins...Please, join the crew of the Legend of Anne!" "But acting isn''t something I am really good at," Maria replied in a soft tone. Francis nodded his head slightly. "I figured you''d say that.How about I invite you to another position? You could be the chief scriptwriter, the supervisor, the assistant director, or the art director.Choose the most convenient one for you." Obviously, he was being generous. These posts were either second to that of the chief director or they were even on an equal footing with it.If Maria took any of them, she would be able to weaken Francis¡¯ voice.But he didn''t care about that. All he wanted was for her to join the crew. Maria was silent and hesitant. This made Francis quite anxious.He suspected that she just didn''t feel his sincerity. As a result, he decided to put in some more effort to persuade her. "How about you being the chief director while I be the executive director? That way, I can assist you." Just when Maria made up her mind, his words came to her as aplete shock. Did he say ¡®the chief director¡¯? Immediately after that, she shook her head and gave him an emphatic reply. "No! That won''t be necessary." There were a lot of things waiting for her to deal with in Sheffield.She couldn''t afford to be distracted from her own affairs in order to spend so much time as a member of a crew. As the author of the Legend of Anne, it wasn''t out of ce for her to take a sinecure in the crew and asionally answer the main staff''s questions about the script. Maria remembered that there was a vacant but important position in the crew that was enough to meet her needs. "You know what, Mr.Jackson? I just want to be a script supervisor." She looked at him. Francis was stunned.He almost thought he had misheard. "Script supervisor?" His repeated after her in confusion. This was because the script supervisor was the assistant of the chief director. The more capable a director was, the less help he needed from the script supervisor. Most experienced directors didn''t even need one. For example, Francis had never asked Yeez Entertainment to provide him with a script supervisor for several years. This was because of his strong working ability and vigorous energy. Chapter 55 Chapter 55 Chapter 55 The Name List Of The Crewe When Maria and Francis returned, they were met with curious looks from Lyndsey and the others.Maria said to Anthony briefly, "From next week, I''ll be starting work on the set of Legend of Anne." Since Anthony was her nominal fiance, she felt obligated to inform him about her new arrangement. "Okay." Anthony just nodded calmly; he didn''t seem to be interested in asking further questions. Lyndsey, on the other hand, was surprised by Maria''s words.Did this mean that she would get to see her idol every day from now on? "Miss Jenkins, are you going to be an actress?" Walt asked curiously. He had no doubt that with her beautiful face, Maria would have a great advantage as an actress.However, he was worried about what such a career choice would mean for Maria''s engagement with Anthony. It was odd that she was choosing to make a debut just before marriage. Moreover, if she became a famous actress in the future, her busy schedule all around the country and even the world would definitely have an impact on her marriage with Anthony. That was why most actors and actresses didn''t havesting marriages. They didn''t have enough time to spend with their spouses. Maria shook her head and replied, "No, I''ll be working there as a script supervisor." "What is that?" Although Walt was relieved to hear that Maria wouldn''t be an actress, he still didn''t understand what she was going to be doing at the film set. The others were confused, too. After all, most people who were not part of the film industry would have never heard of such a job title before. Regardless, they could tell from the name alone that it seemed to be just an ordinary post for low-level workers. "Maria...Why did you agree to be a script supervisor? It...It''s a waste of your talent!" Lyndsey was so anxious that instead of Mia, she called Maria directly by her name.She even shot Francis a resentful look, as if to me him for giving Maria a job that was far beneath her level. Francis immediately understood what Lyndsey was implying. For the first time, he looked a little aggrieved.His wrinkled face looked pitiful somehow. "I volunteered for the position.Of course, I have to wait for the approval from Mr.Bradley of Yeez Entertainment before I can officially start working." Now that Maria revealed the truth that she had voluntarily taken the position, Lyndsey could say nothing. Francis had been proven innocent. As for Jeremy''s opinion... Lyndsey could already imagine the gaping look on his face when he found out. Mia was a divine-level scriptwriter with loyal fans all over the world and most productionpanies would kill to work with her. And yet, she now volunteered to work as a small script supervisor for a TV show in Yeez Entertainment! If this piece of news ever came to light and people found out that Maria and Mia were the same person, her fans would use Jeremy of treating her shabbily. Jeremy might not be able to appease them even if hemitted suicide! Two days after the banquet, Yeez Entertainment announced that the filming of the Legend of Anne hadmenced, and at the same time the list of the cast and crew was published. Vivian found her name within the top ten lines of the name list. Although she was not the lead actress, she was still ying a rtively important supporting role. In Yeez Entertainment, there were nearly a hundred actors and actresses who had acted in a web series before, but only a dozen of them had been cast in the new show, and Vivian''s role was the most important among them. Because of that alone, Vivian considered herself more sessful than the other web series actors. A satisfied smirk appeared on Vivian''s face again.She even found Sally''s name a little lower on the list. Sally had yed an important supporting role in the web series that Vivian starred in. Now, she had also gotten a supporting role in the Legend of Anne. Of course,pared to Vivian''s role, Sally''s role was a really small one. After all, Vivian was going to y the daughter of a noblewoman, who was more or less a princess.She would have many scenes and lines. On the other hand, Sally, who was ying the role of a maid in the pce, would only appear in a few scenes. Thinking of the increasing gap in sess between her and her friend, Vivian''s spirits soared. But the big smile on her face froze when she saw Maria''s name in the list. "How is that possible? How could her name be here? Aunt Patricia told me that Maria didn''t get cast in the end! What''s going on?" Vivian gasped in shock. Upon taking a closer look, however, she found that Maria was listed as the script supervisor. Only then did Vivian rx again, and her smirk returned to her face.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Chapter 56 Chapter 56 Chapter 56 I Apologize To You On My Elder Sister''s Behalf At Litke World Studios, the filming of the Legend of Anne was well underway. The female lead, Anne Hade, was yed by Lyndsey, and the male lead, Richard Wentworth, was yed by Jay Reed. Jay was one of the most popr male celebrities in the country right now.He was well-rounded, with skill and talent in both acting and singing. Last year he had won the Best Actor award, and this year he had won Most Popr Male Artist in the music awards. If it weren''t for the fact that all his songs were indie-folk rather than pop, he would be considered a singing sensation. Even so, many of the crew members did believe Jay to be a singing sensation soon. After all, it had already been confirmed that the theme song of the show would be sung by Jay. Considering the enormous budget and hardworking publicity team that Yeez Entertainment had, the theme song would undoubtedly top the charts as soon as it was released. It was the first day of filming, and Maria was the idlest person on the crew. She arrived at the shooting site on time and initially followed Francis around, sincerely trying to perform her duties as a script supervisor. However, she soon realized that Francis didn''t need a script supervisor at all.He was extremely knowledgeable about both the source material as well as the tasks of the crew, and didn''t need any help. In fact, having Maria around somehow only made him focus more on getting every single thing right. He arranged everything so perfectly that Maria didn''t have to do anything. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. "Mr.Jackson, is there anything I can do?" Maria couldn''t help asking after a while. "What?" Francis''s mind went nk for a second. The truth was, the first day of filming was always the busiest, with a lot of small errands to run. However, Francis didn''t want to bother Maria with all these trivial things.He viewed her less as a crew member and more as a dignified advisor, who he would only disturb when he was facing core filming and creation problems. "No, I''m fine.Is there anything I should change?" If anyone in the crew heard Francis asking someone else for instructions, their jaw would drop to the ground. Francis lowered his voice and said carefully, "Mia...Sorry,I mean Miss Jenkins.You can regard yourself as the chief director who''s inspecting the work.If there is anything you''re not happy with, please let me know." As the script supervisor for the show, Maria was speechless. But then she recalled the scene that morning when Francis had taken out a thick stack of her books and asked for her autograph. It was at that moment that she realized that he was one of her loyal fans. After that, Maria didn''t bother Francis anymore. She knew that he wouldn''t hesitate to ask her if he truly needed her help. After about three hours of shooting, the members of the crew found that the beautiful script supervisor named Maria just stayed next to the director, without so much as lifting a finger to do any work. Since the rest of the cast and crew had to actually earn their pay, they grew more and more indignant about the situation with every passing hour. "Did you s¨¦e that script supervisor, Maria Jenkins? Whose daughter is she? She can''t do anything.How was she even epted into the crew?" "Exactly! She''s just a script supervisor, but she acts like she¡¯s a producer or something.And Mr.Jackson just happily allows it! I won''t be surprised if he suddenly asks her to change into a costume and act in a scene.That''s an easy way to be famous, isn''t it?" As the cast and crewined about Maria among themselves, one of them suddenly realized something. "Vivian, your surname is Jenkins too, right? ls Maria rted to you?" Hearing this question, everyone turned to Vivian with sharp gazes. Dressed in the white princess costume, Vivian looked quiet and elegant, like a pure white lily. "I''m sorry, everyone.Maria is indeed my elder sister." A graceful smile hung on Vivian''s lips, but the light in her eyes dimmed. In a pitiful tone, she continued, "I don''t know what kind of trick she used to be the script supervisor.I''m sorry that she brings you trouble.I apologize to all of you on her behalf." Chapter 57 Chapter 57 Chapter 57 Please Forgive My Elder Sister Even if it was true that Maria was taking a sinecure on this crew, she still didn''t cause any trouble for anyone.However, Vivian deliberately implied to everyone in there that Maria could get very annoying. "Is she really your elder sister?" This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Everyone''s eyes focused on Maria in the distance, as they were shock at Vivian''s revtion.Some of them knew Vivian for quite a long time now, but they weren''t aware that she had a sibling. "So, why didn''t she be an actress like you? Did she prefer to be a supervisor instead?" Hearing this, Vivian let out a gloomy expression, and pretended to talk apologetically. "Well, she has never learned how to act, and she is also not a professional script supervisor.After she graduated from high school, she started working in a digital shop.This is actually her first time joining a film crew." Learning about this, everyone was even more surprised.People murmured with each other, and there was quite an uproar. After all, the bigger the crew was, the more unreasonable it was to ept an unprofessional member. The actors and actresses involved in the Legend of Anne were not only famous but known professionals in this field. Even the members of the shooting team, editing team, special effects team, and martial arts instruction team were all top names all over the country. In fact, even down to the youngest staff in the team of clothing, makeup, and props, they all graduated from famous schools of film and television. It could be said that they were all capable and experienced.But now, they would know that the script supervisor who was supposed to assist the director''s work in every aspect didn''t even have the minimum qualifications. Of course, it was uneptable for them. Everyone was frustrated.But seeing the pitiful look on Vivian''s face, they couldn''t get themselves to vent their anger on her. Sally quicklyforted her, saying, "Vivian, whatever Maria did was none of your business.We won''t me you for it.So, don''t feel guilty." Acting like she was very touched, Vivian pursed her lips and nodded lightly. "Thank you, everyone.But again, if she does anything wrong or causes trouble to any of you in the future, I already apologize on her behalf." Everyone was moved by her words.It turned out that she was such a good sister. Hearing this, someone sighed while shaking her head. "Maria is so lucky to have you as family." Initially, several actors thought that Maria was very beautiful, and so they immediately had a crush on her.But after this, they somehow lost interest in her. Although Vivian was not as beautiful as Maria, she was much kinder.Hence, they started to admire her more. "There are lots of people in the showbiz who would do whatever it takes just so they could rise to fame.But in the end, without talent and hard work, one cannot seed by just relying on their crooked ways." One of the supporting actors expressed his genuine sentiment, and the rest echoed. Seeing this scene, the smile on Vivian''s face became even brighter.Today was the first day of filming, but Maria''s reputation had already gone so bad. Therefore, Vivian assumed that it wouldn''t be long before she got kicked out of the crew. "So, who helped her get the position?" Someone asked out of curiosity. However, this was a question that not even Vivian could answer. Eventually, lunchtime came. Under the gaze of countless eyes, Lyndsey casually approached Maria with a bag full of drinks. Then, they heard how she eagerly asked Maria what kind of drink she wanted to have. With furrowed brows, one of the actors got a bit confused. "Look at that.Is Maria trying to tter Lyndsey?" But another actor had a clearer and unbiased reaction. "I don''t think so.It seems like it is the opposite..." With shock written all over her face, Sally quickly whispered to Vivian, "Hey...Vivian! What the hell is going on? When did those two be good friends? Does it mean that you are also close with Lyndsey?" Vivian felt her body trembling violently.How could this happen? Vivian vividly remembered that she became Lyndsey''s friend at the banquet in Viton Hotelst time. But everything indicated otherwise. Lyndsey tantly ignored her all morning. More importantly, how and when did Maria and Lyndsey became close? After racking her brain out, Vivian thought that she had figured out the truth. Because she left early that day, she thought Maria must have taken advantage of the opportunity to tter Lyndsey at the banquet. That was how they ended up being friends. Moreover, she couldn''t help but think that Maria must have spoken ill of her in front of Lyndsey, which was why thetter was so cold towards her now. She longed to be friends with Lyndsey, but it was taken away by Maria. That girl was really stealing everything that should have belonged to her. Thinking of this, Vivian clenched her fists in anger. Chapter 58 Chapter 58 Chapter 58 Please Show Jay Some Respect "Hey, Lyn! Aren''t you going to introduce me to thedy beside you?" Jay asked casually as he approached Lyndsey and Maria. Within the core circle of a crew, the actors who yed the hero and heroine were irreceable.Everyone liked to spend time with them.For Jay, it was already his second time doing a project with Lyndsey. Because of this, they had developed a tacit understanding and a close rtionship. At the same time, Jay had noticed Maria since she appeared on the crew. Although he guessed that this idle and beautiful script supervisor might have only gotten her position through some influential backers, he didn''t actually mind it. After all, in the entertainment circle, this kind of thing would usually happen.It had almost be a norm and he had already gotten used to it. Before Lyndsey could say anything, Maria took the initiative to introduce herself. "My name is Maria Jenkins.I''m here as a script supervisor." Hearing her straightforward and casual response, Jay was a little surprised.Her tone sounded a little too indifferent and unrestrained. Just as he expected from the beginning, it seemed that Maria was not an ordinary person.Jay then grinned and introduced himself seriously in the same way Maria just did, "My name is Jay Reed.I''m here to y the part of the hero in this show." Maria already knew that, so she just nodded without much care.However, Jay''s assistant couldn''t believe what he had witnessed. In the back of his mind, he couldn''t fathom how this girl could be so calm.Not just in front of any celebrity, but Jay Reed.Was Jay not up to her standards? That was impossible.Or maybe she was simply not interested in men? In a recent survey conducted by a famous entertainment magazine, Jay was voted as the male artist that girls wanted to marry the most. Delivery stations across the country would always get filled with various packages addressed to him from senders iming to be his beloved wife. Maria should have at least felt a little excited when she met Jay. This was the first time that Jay''s assistant encountered someone who didn''t fawn over his boss, so he found it strange and unbelievable. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. "Oh, hey.You got so many drinks.Can I have one?" Without waiting for Lyndsey''s approval, Jay casually reached for a bottle inside the bag.He had already worked with her on two TV shows, and they had gotten along, so taking one drink shouldn''t be a problem. However, he didn''t expect what had happen next. p! Lyndsey suddenly smacked his hand off the bag and red at him. "Hey! Let M¡ª I mean, let Maria choose first." At that moment, Lyndsey almost forgot that Maria had told her not to call her by her pseudonym and just address her as Maria instead. Even so, it had already be a habit. There could even be a part of her that didn''t actually want to change it at all.She wanted to call her Mia and let everyone know that this stunning youngdy was the very idol she adored.But sadly, Maria seemed to want to keep her identity a secret. Of course, Jay had no choice but to take his hand back.He had to gently rub his hand to ease off the pain from getting pped by Lyndsey.It seemed that she used a lot of strength when she hit him just now. Upon seeing this, the assistant felt so anxious that he almost cursed Lyndsey.He couldn''t believe how she had the guts to hurt his boss for a measly bottled drink. Despite his displeasure, he tried to control himself by reminding himself that Lyndsey had just recently won Best Actress and was ying the lead role in this y. She wasn''t someone he could afford to offend. However, that wasn''t going to stop him from ming her in his heart. In his mind, Lyndsey could have just told him off nicely. Was this script supervisor more important than the recent Best Actor awardee? The assistant red at Maria with resentment, but she was busy inspecting the drinks that she didn''t notice at all. "Maria, look! This one''s a passion fruit-vored soda.It actually has alcohol in it, but it''s not strong, and it''s great to drink one before a nap.This yogurt tastes good too! It''s good for digestion.I drink it every day! Would you like to try this? Or...how about this fruit vinegar? It''s good for your skin.Plus! It''s got low sugar content." After introducing every bottled beverage she picked out for Maria in detail, Lyndsey realized in the end that she wanted to give her all three drinks. At this point, she turned to Jay and blurted, "The store''s only a few blocks away.Just go buy a drink yourself." Clearly, Jay was at a loss that she would treat him that way.He was so stunned that he could only stare at Lyndsey with wide eyes. Even his assistant was taken aback.He couldn''t believe that she prioritized a mere script supervisor over her co-lead. Apparently, Maria was also rendered speechless by what Lyndsey said and turned to her in shock.However, the assistant couldn''t let it go.It was just one drink. Lyndsey had already pped Jay''s hand earlier. Now, she refused him again and even asked him to go to the store himself. Couldn''t she show some respect to Jay? He was her equal, a Best Actor award.The assistant clenched his fists. Indeed, the store was a couple of blocks away. Lyndsey had more than enough drinks that she could share, yet she selfishly told him to walk in makeup and heavy costumes and buy his own drink. Finally, Jay''s assistant could not take it anymore.In his heart, he was already exploding in anger.This girl was just too much. How dare she bully such a sweet guy? If Jay wouldn''t say anything, he would do it himself.He was so determined to make Lyndsey know her ce. Chapter 59 Chapter 59 Chapter 59 Kindhearted Vivian During the first week of filming, several actors and actresses could attest to what Vivian said before. Maria seemed to be quitezy and very underqualified for her job. They never saw her put enough effort and did much work. In fact, she had never recorded the director''s speech and instructions. All she did was stroll around the shooting site or sleep for long hours. Moreover, Maria was just supposed to be a script supervisor, but she even enjoyed the privilege of having her own exclusive lounge in the set. Seeing all of this, almost every member of the whole crew felt like they were about to go crazy. Yeez Entertainment had always been famous for its quality control, perfect management, and fairness. But somehow, for an unknown reason, they let an ipetent person hold an important role, and Maria wasn''t even trying to hide herck of enthusiasm. Everyone wanted to know what Maria did in order to convince the top management into giving her such a special treatment. Every time they saw Maria loafing around, they were filled with envy and frustration. Sometimes, it was all they could think about. One time, Sally couldn''t help herself from whispering in front of Vivian. It was when she saw Maria having lunch with Francis, Lyndsey, and Jay. Sally clearly saw Lyndsey put her favorite roasted eel into Maria''s te, while Francis shared his Australian lobster to her. Jay was the only one who behaved normally.He didn''t do anything to dote on Maria and just ate his own food. However, the main point was that someone like Maria could have lunch with Jay at the same table. It was enough to make many actresses in the crew to be filled with so much jealousy. "Vivian, I still dislike your elder sister.But right now, my envy towards her is much stronger!" An actress who yed a supporting role couldn''t contain her emotions.She almost drooled while her eyes were fixated on Jerome''s strapping figure. Vivian was also having lunch at that time. When she heard thements of her fellow actresses, the corner of her mouth twitched. Clenching her fist, she suddenly lost her appetite. "Maria...Actually, she has always been good at making friends.But as far as I remember, she only chooses who she befriends.I don''t know why" Vivian said in an insinuating tone. Although she didn''t say it directly, the actresses present were smart enough to realize the meaning behind Vivian''s words. Sally scoffed coldly. "I see.So, Maria is a typical snob.She has only been in the crew for a few days, but she has be good friends with the director, Lyndsey, and Jerome.But what about us? She didn''t even try to say a word to any of us! Does she think that we''re beneath her?" Another actress also butted in to express her resentment, "Humph! She doesn''t want to associate with us because she thinks that we don''t deserve her attention." Because of Vivian''s instigation, everyone became more and more hostile towards Maria. However, Vivian still acted like a saint and said in a pitiful tone, "I''m sorry.Please don''t hate my sister that much.I apologize for her behavior." Sally shook her head and quicklyforted Vivian, "You are such a kind sister.You keep on apologizing for someone who''s not even doing a thing to change her attitude.You really don''t have to do this for her, Vivian! Maria doesn''t deserve to be called your elder sister!" Everyone nodded eagerly, sympathizing with Vivian. However, while they were busy criticizing Maria and ganging up on her behind her back, something unexpected happened. Francis had a sudden allergy attack, and his condition looked pretty bad. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Fortunately, they called for medical help immediately and the ambnce was already on its way. "How did this happen? Mr.Jackson is very allergic to eggnt! I repeatedly reminded the restaurant in advance not to serve any food with eggnt! How could this still happen?" The assistant director roared in panic, his face turning pale in fright.He immediately called the boss of the restaurant they ordered food from to solicit an exnation. Thetter could just apologize repeatedly for the negligence of his employees. But of course, it wouldn''t be able to solve anything. The doctor with the crew gave Francis an emergency treatment while waiting for the ambnce, which arrived about ten minutester. At this time, all the actors and actresses were surprised to find that even the president of Yeez Entertainment, Jeremy, had also rushed to the scene because of the unfortunate incident. "How is Francis doing? What exactly happened?" Jeremy pulled a long face as he talked to medical staff with the crew. Only a week had passed since the filming of the show started. However, the director suddenly fell ill just because of careless mishandling of the food.It was a such big-budget project. A huge economic loss to Yeez Entertainment would be inevitable if the shooting was dyed even for a day. But now that the chief director couldn''t do his role, it was a big predicament. How could the filming ensue if no one knew how to direct the entire process? Chapter 60 Chapter 60 Chapter 60 The Acting Chief Director Right now, the whole crew was in a state of total mess. Everyone knew that losing Francis even for a few days would be a heavy blow. They wouldn''t be able to fully function without a chief director. Meanwhile, thanks to the emergency treatment that the doctor had applied to Francis, he was still able to barely keep his consciousness. As the medical staff prepared to transfer Francis to the ambnce, Jeremy finally asked the question that everyone was concerned about. Although he knew that Francis¡¯ health was of utmost concern, this matter needed to be settled as well. "Francis, the doctor said you have to rest for at least five days while undergoing treatment.That means you can''t work during that time.The filming still needs to proceed.Who do you think can take over your job while you''re away?" It was a very crucial decision. Who would be the acting chief director? Hearing this, the surrounding actors and actresses could not help but look at some of the more obvious choices. The assistant director, the action director, Jay, and even Jeremy had the background and skills to somehow fill the said role. However, both the action director and the assistant director took the initiative to say that they couldn''t do it. After all, the show only started shooting for about a week. They hadn''t thoroughly studied the script, so they could only assist the chief director. But being the one solely in charge was out of the question. Although Jeremy had a great reputation for directing films in the past, it had been so long since he personally handled this role. When the business started to take off and several big directors like Francis joined thepany, he had mostly been in charge of growing the business. Hence, he had to admit that he was already rusty when it came to directing. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. "Maybe I can try..." Without anyone stepping up for the job, Jay frowned and hesitantly offered to take on the task. Although he had always been responsible, he also had a clear estimation of himself. Directing such a big-budgeted series like the Legend of Anne, even Jay, who was known as a top talent in the entertainment industry, didn''t have enough confidence to properly fulfill this important role. Francis was already mounted inside the ambnce, lying down on a gurney. But after hearing Jeremy''s question, he slowly stretched out his right hand and pointed in a certain direction. Looking where Francis was pointing his finger, Jeremy and the others saw Lyndsey and Maria standing there. "She...She can do it." Although his voice was weak and low, everyone heard what he said. Of the two people standing there, everyone thought of the obvious. Francis must have been thinking that Lyndsey could be the acting chief director. No one seemed to have a problem with it, thinking that Lyndsey could make it work. After all, Lyndsey graduated from the best film and television school in the country. Aside from earning a double degree in filming and performance, she had also won a full schrship. When she made her debut, her acting career easily advanced by leaps and bounds and had be one of the most popr actresses both at home and abroad in no time. If there was going to be an issue, it was that Lyndsey had yet to personally direct any shows or films. For that reason, no one actually knew her capacity for directing. Now, as everyone looked at her under the assumption that she was the one Francis was endorsing, they were utterly surprised by what she did. All of a sudden, Lyndsey yfully stuck out her tongue and hopped aside. At this point, they couldn''t help but furrow their brows when they noticed that Francis still pointed in that direction. Of course, in their disbelief, everyone fixed their eyes on Maria. Maria? She was going to be the acting chief director? Was Francis serious? "I see." While everyone was still in daze, wondering if this was really happening, Jeremy nodded seriously. From his expression, there was no doubt that he and Francis understood each other. At this time, Francis, who was still having a hard time breathing because of his allergy, was able to somehow heave a sigh of relief. Hey down on the stretcher much morefortably and was quickly sent to the hospital by the ambnce. "Everyone, listen up.Due to Mr.Jackson''s absence, Maria Jenkins, the script supervisor, shall temporarily serve as the chief director until Mr.Jackson is discharged from the hospital," Jeremy announced firmly and loudly. As expected, the crew burst into an uproar. Most of them were convinced that Maria was just beauty and no brains. Therefore, they couldn''t fathom how she could even lead the crew as the acting chief director. What did they see in Maria for them to entrust her such a crucial role? However, despite their reluctance and inward protest, Jeremy had already made the final decision. At the end of the day, they were just employees, and they wouldn''t dare have any objection with what the boss had decided. In fact, maybe Jay and Lyndsey were the only ones qualified to express their disagreement. Therefore, the actors and actresses turned to the duo, hoping that they could persuade Jeremy to change his mind. Otherwise, The Legend of Anne was basically doomed. "Isn''t that great?! Maria, I''ll be sure to cooperate with you!" Unexpectedly, Lyndsey cheerfully approved Maria''s appointment as the acting chief director. She even held thetter''s arm with a ttering smile on her face.It was not until they saw it with their own eyes that the crew recalled the rumor about Lyndsey sucking up to Maria. It turned out that it wasn''t just a mere rumor. But the big question was still left unanswered ¡ªwhy? Jay was one of the most dissatisfied people regarding Jeremy''s decision. However, as a well-educated man, he knew his ce and didn''t dare speak out against his boss. Instead, he quietly walked towards Maria and whispered, "It''s not easy to be chief director.I assume you know that.Now, if you yourself know that you aren''t capable or qualified for this task, I advise you to refuse politely before it''s toote.Every member of this crew is putting their painstaking efforts into the show.I hope you don''t treat this as agame." Chapter 61 Chapter 61 Chapter 61 Ask Miss Jenkins Having a height difference of nearly 8 inches, Maria had to raise her head when she looked at Jay. "Oh, yeah.Thank you for reminding me." There wasn''t much expression on Maria''s face, but her voice seemed to be a little cold. However, it wasn''t really because she was annoyed at Jay. This was her normal speaking tone since she didn''t have much opportunity to be close to people. "Miss Jenkins, can I see you for a minute? I have to talk with you alone." As Jeremy approached Maria, he slightly turned his head sideways, signaling her to follow him. Judging from the boss''s firm and strict tone, the crew thought that even though Francis selected Maria, Jeremy seemed to also have no confidence in her either. They couldn''t help but think that Francis must have gone insane after suffering from a serious allergy attack. After all, who in their right mind would choose Maria to be the acting chief director? But just as Maria and Jeremy walked into a quiet ce on the set, the dignified CEO suddenly heaved a sigh of relief, wearing such a ttering smile. In fact, he looked even more enthusiasticpared to how Lyndsey acted earlier. "Thank you very much, Mia! No one expected that Francis would suddenly be ill.It''s going to be really hard to find another suitable director to rece him on such short notice.Luckily, we have you here!" Maria nodded, shrugging her shoulders slightly. "Well, I guess." "Anyway, do you need me to assist you in taking care of this thing?" Jeremy asked in a low voice, genuinely offering his help. The truth was that he was only worried that someone in the crew wouldn''t obey Maria''s instructions as the new director. After all, not everyone knew who she really was, and they might undermine her authority. If someone caused any trouble or offended Maria, Jeremy did not know what he would do to get her forgiveness. "No need.I can handle this by myself," Maria answered without batting an eye. She was confident enough to shoulder the responsibility. In fact, not only was she sure that she could handle directing the shoot but also managing the hundreds of people on the crew. Jeremy was actually stunned after hearing her response, but it was followed by a deep sigh of relief.He remembered that long ago, he also didn''t take Maria seriously because of her seemingly unsophisticated appearance and aloof behavior. This was a mistake that most peoplemitted. They were quick to judge her without seeing what she was really capable of. But Maria proved her ability again and again by producing outstanding results. Now, Jeremy had epted the fact that she was almost omnipotent as if there was nothing she couldn''t do. "Then, what should I..." Jeremy actually wanted to ask if she wanted him to stay on the crew just in case she needed something. But Maria waved her hand casually and interrupted him, "You can go ahead and just do your real job.I can manage here." "If that''s what you say.Then, okay!" Jeremy was overjoyed that Maria was willing to do it. After a while, Jeremy eventually came back to the crew. Everyone''s brows slightly furrowed after noticing that their boss was in a good mood. "Mr.Bradley, what should we do now?" The assistant director stepped forward and asked what was in everyone''s mind right now. However, Jeremy was surprised.He then shook his head and patted the assistant director on the shoulder. "Why are you asking me that? Do you have a short attention span?" "What do you mean?" The assistant director was so confused, not understanding why Jeremy suddenly scolded him. Seeing the reaction of the assistant director, Jeremy sulked further. "Didn''t you hear me say earlier that Miss Jenkins will be the one in charge of every work arrangement of the crew until Francises back? So, why am I the one you''re asking?" Leaving everyone speechless, Jeremy suddenly remembered that he had a date with a female star tonight.So, he turned around and went away in high spirits.So, this was really happening. Jeremy left the filming duties in Maria''s hands.It took the crew a long time to actually absorb that it wasn''t just a joke. Eventually, they saw Maria walking steadily towards them, her expression still the same as ever. But when Maria took a seat, everyone raised their eyebrows and was stunned.It was because she casually sat in Francis¡¯ exclusive seat. Next to it was the megaphone that he often used during filming. Then, without hesitation, she picked up the megaphone and turned it on. With a rather t tone, she said, "We''re starting in a few minutes.Get ready." If it was Francis, the whole crew would immediately execute the order. All departments would get ready and man their stations. But now that Maria was the one giving the orders, they looked somewhat sluggish. However, while everyone was still procrastinating, they saw that Lyndsey was already on standby. Although Jay still didn''t like this oue, he had to cast aside his pride for now. He was a professional actor, and he must cooperate even if the conditions weren''t ideal. Seeing that the hero and heroine were already prepared, the extras, lighting directors, and photographers didn''t dare to dilly-dally anymore. They immediately got ready so they could start filming. Finally, the shooting ensued. Before Francis went down with his allergy attack, he had already told them the scenes that they were going to do in the afternoon. Even without the original chief director, the whole shooting team was part of the elites in this industry. Moreover, with Lyndsey and Jay taking the lead roles, the whole shooting process had gone smoothly. But after all the targeted scenes were done, the crew realized that something was wrong. Although it seemed that everything was going well... Maria had done nothing except shout "ACTION¡¯, "NG", and "CUT". This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. She didn''t really guide the actors and actresses on how to do the scene, nor did shemand the lighting directors and photographers. In fact, they thought that she wasn''t really making a real contribution. Anyone could easily do what she was doing. It was as if she didn''t know how to direct at all. She was just pretending to. Chapter 62 Chapter 62 Chapter 62 Taking The Helm "What are you doing right now?" "Shooting." "Are you acting?" "I''m the director." "Can I visit you?" On the shooting site, Maria was chatting with Anthony on WhatsApp.But she was stunned when she received a message from him asking if he coulde to the shooting site to visit. After thinking for a moment, she replied, "If you want to." As far as she was concerned, the engagement between her and Anthony was just a show. So when Anthony asked if he could visit her, she assumed that it was because he wanted to y his part well, and not because he actually wanted to see her. Therefore, she kept her reply curt but amiable. Whatever decision he took, she was willing to y along with it. "Wow, you''re so cool!" Lyndsey''s voice suddenly came from behind, startling Maria. Standing nearby, Lyndsey was peeping at Maria''s WhatsApp chat with Anthony. Although she was just barely able to make out the words, she couldn''t help but fawn over Maria''s response. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. "The Wilson family is really powerful, so I was worried that they would bully you.But I couldn''t have been more wrong! No wonder you''re my idol.You even have Anthony under your control." Being a huge fan of Maria, Lyndsey couldn''t help but continue to tter her. Maria''s eyebrows twitched, and she opened her mouth to say two soft but firm words. "Shut up." How dare Lyndsey peep at her private conversation? If it happened again, she wouldn''t let her off so easily. Half a day after Maria took over as the acting chief director, filming came to a halt. The reason was simple: Maria hadn''t given any guidance to the actors and actresses. For the first half of the day, the cast and crew shot the scenes based on what Francis had briefed them on so far. But once they were done with those scenes, they had no idea how to proceed on their own. Everyone naturally turned to Maria, waiting for her instructions. "Miss...Miss Jenkins, isn''t it time for you to tell us what to do in the follow scenes?" the assistant director reminded her shortly. Most of the people stared at Maria in an unfriendly way. "Vivian, does Maria really know how to be a director?" Sally asked in a low voice, and the supporting actors and actresses beside her also strained their ears to listen. As a cast member, Vivian was well aware that everyone''s dissatisfaction with Maria was close to hitting the limit. Someone might blow up at Maria at any second now. All Vivian had to do was fan the fire. "I know for sure that Maria never learned how to be a director," Vivian replied cautiously, making sure that her volume was loud enough for people around her, but not Maria in the distance. Surely, their faces immediately darkened. They were all professional actors, and thest thing they wanted to do was to be in a bad show. One bad show could ruin an actor''s career forever. "But who knows, maybe she''s naturally talented.Maybe she is born to be a director," Vivian continued innocently, as if she was really giving Maria the benefit of the doubt. "How could anyone be born to be a director? Directing is something you can be good at only after learning and doing it for years," one of the actors replied, pursing his lips in displeasure. He looked at Maria hatefully, as if he wanted to go over and drag her out of the director''s chair. The others nodded in agreement. Their distrust of Maria grew. At this moment, Maria picked up Francis¡¯ megaphone and spoke. "The actors ying the main leads and supporting roles,e over here.I am going to take you through the next few scenes." Hearing this, the whole crew was stunned. Well, that was, everyone except Lyndsey. Jay noticed Lyndsey take out a pen and a notebook at once, like a studious student.Was she about to take notes?! "Vivian, is Maria really going to give us directions on how to act?" Sally asked incredulously. Obviously, she didn''t believe one bit that Maria had the ability. Vivian was also dumbfounded. As far as she knew, Maria might not even have read the original book of the Legend of Anne. How could someone without any knowledge of the source material or the skill and experience of a director take the helm? Chapter 63 Chapter 63 ¡°My dear girl, when you called me over in such a hurry, I thought something big must have happened.¡± Shaking her head in amusement, Patricia stirred the coffee with a silver spoon, dissolving the sugar cube. Then, she Lifted her head and looked at Vivian in a rxed way. fivian, you have been in the entertainment industry for quite some time. You should have already gotten used to such situations. Don¡¯t you see it? Everyone flocks here, thinking that they can be famous overnight. But what happens to them? A fish eye could never be a pearl,¡± Patricia exined elegantly. The pride and confidence in her words had always been what Vivian admired the most. ¡°You are right! A fish eye could never be a pearl!¡± Vivian echoed, finally feeling a sense of relief. In her eyes, Maria, the country girl, was just a fish eye. Inparison, Vivian, who was born with a silver spoon in her mouth, was a valuable pearl. ¡°But¡­¡± Vivian continued with a hint of worry. ¡°What if Maria is Lucky enough to be the lead actress in the show?¡¯ Now that Vivian had failed in the audition, she couldn¡¯t bear to see Maria seed. Patricia shook her head with a faint smile. ¡°Silly girl, listen to me. Just beforeing here, I signed a contract with Yeez Entertainment. I will be ying the role of a noblewoman in the Legend of Anne. As for the lead actress, it¡¯s definitely Lyndsey and not some nameless country girl.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Patricia was telling the truth as far as she knew; she had no idea that Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Lyndsey was selected as the Lead actress only because Maria had refused the part. ¡°Really? That¡¯s great!¡± Vivian was overjoyed. It turned out that she hadn¡¯t lost to Maria after all. As for the fact that Lyndsey was the lead actress of the show, it was something that Vivian could easily ept. After all, Vivian had only starred in a web series, while Lyndsey was an award-winning actress known all over the country. However, Vivian still had a request. She held Patricia¡¯s arm and pleaded with her. ¡°Aunt Patricia, I didn¡¯t get cast for any role in the show yet. Please help me!¡± Seeing Vivian act spoiled like this, Patricia didn¡¯t feel annoyed or repulsed. Instead, she gave her a doting look and took out a performance contract from her limited edition LV bag. ¡°I¡¯ve already arranged it for you. Although it is a supporting role you¡¯ll appear in a Lot of scenes. You will be acting as my daughter.. Unaware that there was a guest at home, Maria stayed in her room. She was browsing her phone when she received a message from Anthony. ¡°Miss Jenkins, there will be a party at Viton Hotel tomorrow night at seven. If you¡¯re avable, could you come with me?¡± Anthony asked so politely without sounding so pushy or bossy. Chapter 64 Chapter 64 If Maria didn¡¯t want to go, she could easily refuse him. ¡°Alright. My schedule¡¯s not as busy these days anyway,¡± Maria replied with honesty. Since she took a break from conducting business in Heaven, she actually had much more time on her te. On top of that, Maria had promised that she would cooperate with Anthony for a year. She wouldn¡¯t deliberately avoid keeping her end of the bargain, especially since he asked nicely. To make sure she would do well, Maria sent another message to find out more. ¡°What kind of event is it? Do I need to prepare for anything specific?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a small party. There¡¯s no need to worry. Although, I¡¯LL advise you to refrain from eating before going to the party and enjoy the food they serve. I hear the chef is excellent.¡± As though he knew what was on her mind, Anthony gave her reassurance that he wasn¡¯t pressuring her for anything. ¡°Is there a dress code?¡± Of course, Maria didn¡¯t want to miss any detail. She had several dresses in her wardrobe, but they were so in and simple that none of them could pass for an evening dress. ¡°Don¡¯t bother. You cane as you are.¡± Anthony settled the matter pretty quickly, then added, ¡°You don¡¯t have to dress up for anyone Just wear whatever you like, as long as you¡¯refortable.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. When Maria got his reply, her eyebrows suddenly raised. She couldn¡¯t help but think how powerful Anthony was for him to tell her not to worry about what to wear. Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ After all, the only people who dressed casually at luxury events were either simpletons or big shots with unfathomable backgrounds. Other than them, guests usually couldn¡¯t avoid those cliches. ¡°I see. Okay.¡± When she finally had all the information she needed for the party, Maria ended their conversation. Thud! Thud! ALL of a sudden, there was an intentional knocking on her door. Outside her bedroom, Lily spoke to her with a harsh voice. ¡°Miss Maria, there is a distinguished guest. You should at leaste and say hello. It¡¯smon courtesy after all.¡± As a matter of fact, no one had informed Maria that a guest wasing over. Nheless, Lily huffed at her loud enough for everyone in the house to hear so they would think that Maria was impolite. Despite her provocation, Maria simply walked out of her room and ignored the maid standing by the door before she went straight into the living room. Chapter 65 Chapter 65 ¡°Hello, Miss Hughes. My name is Maria.¡± Apparently, as soon as she got out of her room, Maria already recognized at first sight that the guest was Patricia Hughes. She might be famous, but Maria actually knew her from a couple of years ago. After all, Patricia was cast in a film adapted from one of Maria¡¯s short stories. Although she only yed a supporting role and didn¡¯t have many scenes, it was the biggest project she had been a part of¡ª thanks to the film being a huge sess. She even got a nomination for ¡°Best Supporting Actress¡± at a national tilm festival and almost won the title. Moreover, because of the nomination, she got appointed as a member of the Film and Television Association. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. ¡°Oh, you know who I am?¡± Patricia Looked Maria up and down. ¡°You really are something else.¡± Her tone overflowed with arrogance. It was clear she wasn¡¯t as kind to her as she was to Vivian. In her eyes, Maria was a sly, calcting girl. Patricia was convinced that if a country girl like Maria could recognize a minor celebrity such as herself, then she was definitely eager to enter the entertainment circle and rise to the upper ss. The more she thought about it, the more she looked down on Maria. ¡°That reminds me, Maria. The female lead for the Legend of Anne has been confirmed. It¡¯s gonna be Lyndsey Mosby. She recently won Best Actress award. It¡¯s a pity you didn¡¯t get the part.¡± Since she was currently in a good mood, Vivian sounded a little forbearing. However, it was only to mask her insinuation of irony as if she was waiting to see how negatively her remark would affect Maria. Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°I see.¡± Just like she usually did, Maria responded rather nonchntly. Of course, Yeez Entertainment would choose Lyndsey. The part had always been hers, so why should she be surprised? At this point, Vivian was getting annoyed and a little unhappy that Maria was calm and didn¡¯t seem to care. ¡°Well, do you still want to y a part in the show? If you want, Aunt Patricia could probably get you a role.¡± Vivian turned to Patricia with a conniving nce. ¡°Aunt Patricia, will you be able to arrange a position for Maria? Even walk-on parts like a maid or something Like that may do. I¡¯m sure she can pull it off.¡± Patricia waved a Limp wrist. ¡°Oh, for sure! That¡¯s a piece of cake. I can handle that in minutes. Anyway, Vivian, prepare for a morous party tomorrow at Viton Hotel. I¡¯LL take you as my plus-one. Parties like this can help you expand yourwork, you know.¡± After mentioning her invitation to Vivian, Patricia remembered that Maria was still in front of them. She then shook her head at her. ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t bring you to the party, Maria. It¡¯s very exclusive. You know, by invitation only.¡± Chapter 66 Chapter 66 An exclusive party? At the Viton Hotel? Maria didn¡¯t respond, but Vivian could hardly hide her excitement. ¡°Aunt Patricia! Viton Hotel is where the Film and Television Association conducts activities, right? Would there be famous directors, producers, and other actors at the party tomorrow?¡± In her eagerness, Vivian almost rapped her response to Patricia and ended up short of breath as if she had just finished an intense workout. Attending events like these was exactly the dream of new actors like Vivian. After all, it would benefit their career if they managed to widen their social circle. No matter how big the gap was between her and those already famous actresses, she could still make a ssh at the banquet and even win the favor of a producer or an acimed director. Patricia nodded proudly, ¡°Yes, my dear. And you¡¯ll be happy to know that I also got you a chance to sing a song. I wasn¡¯t so sure, but I seem to recall you took singing lessons.¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. With bright eyes and a big smile, Vivian nodded repeatedly. ¡°I did! I learned from Professor Lydia Clemens for around two years.¡± Upon hearing the name of the professor, Patricia felt very satisfied. After all, more than being the head of the Vocal Music Department of Sheffield Conservatory, Lydia was a renowned soprano in the city and the vice president of the Sheffield Musicians Association. Under her tutge, even if Vivian weren¡¯t a professional singer, singing a song would be a piece of cake for her. Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°Vivian, it¡¯s a rare opportunity tomorrow. You must sing your best piece and try to make all the guests remember you. Understood? If you¡¯re lucky, you may get to sign several new ys right on the spot.¡± When she mentioned this, Patricia smugly nced in Maria¡¯s direction. It was her intention to make Maria realize what she could do. She could easily give Vivian an opportunity to be an A-list actress. Maria, on the other hand, would get nothing from her because she was a small fry from a small, remote town. Patricia wanted to make Maria see how she made Vivian famous. This was her punishment. After all, Maria shouldn¡¯t have tried to audition at Yeez Entertainment and upset Vivian. ¡°Hey! Where did that girl go?¡± She nced around the living room, but Maria was no longer to be found. Although she didn¡¯t mean to ask it out loud, Lily replied to her ina hurry, ¡°Miss Maria has gone back to her room, Ma¡¯am. She didn¡¯t even wait for you to finish speaking. How rude.¡± Chapter 67 Chapter 67 Of course, Patricia was so stunned that the corners of her mouth started twitching in anger. She was trying to demonstrate her authority to Maria, but the girl already left before she could even ridicule her. ¡°Humph!¡± Patricia could only snort derisively. Right now, she felt even more annoyed that she got ignored by a simpleton. Meanwhile, Vivian was so overjoyed with the good news that she didn¡¯t even notice Maria¡¯s disappearance and Patricia¡¯s exasperation. ¡°Aunt Patricia, I¡¯m going to the piano room to practice. I promise I won¡¯t embarrass you tomorrow!¡± Vivian had her own piano room upstairs that was dedicated to her rehearsals. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. While she merrily ran upstairs, she saw Julieing out of the bedroom. ¡°Mom! Aunt Patricia got me a role in the show! And she¡¯s also taking me to an exclusive party tomorrow!¡± Despite being out of breath, Vivian still had the energy to tell her mom the good news. ¡°I see. Be a Lady. Don¡¯t jump and run around the house Like a rascal.¡± Even though her daughter was filled with excitement, Julie acted as if she had only heard a trivial matter. There was not a trace of joy on her face, and her tone even sounded a Little reproachful. Obviously not the reaction she was hoping for, Vivian felt Like she was thrown a bucket of cold water and promptly quietened down. She then carefully walked past Julie and didn¡¯t dare prance. Instead, she tiptoed into the piano room and gently closed the door. ¡°Oh, there you are. Care to join me for a drink?¡± Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ As soon as she made it to the Living room, Julie grabbed two sses and a bottle of wine from the rack of the bar cart and held it up to her bestie. Patricia smiled and shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re too strict with Vivian. Even I felt sorry for her. Can¡¯t you be gentle to your own child?¡± ¡°I see. Well, I get what you mean.¡± After breathing a sigh, Julie poured half a ss of wine for Patricia. She then filled her own goblet and swirled it around. The two of them drank up a whole bottle of wine. In her inebriated state, Julie soon dozed off. After a long time, she was finally awakened by the sound from the piano room upstairs. Vivian was quite a talented singer. Otherwise, Lydia would never have agreed to teach her. However, Julie had personally never liked Vivian¡¯s singing. Chapter 68 Chapter 68 Every time Vivian went to the piano room to practice, Julie felt suffocated, Like she didn¡¯t even want to stay in the vi. At this time, Patricia had already gone back home. Julie looked around the house, but there was no sign of her husband. Bill had probably gone out to socialize with his friends. She stood up slowly, and her knees still wobbled a little. But the constant sound of bel canto from upstairs urged her to Leave the house as soon as possible. Julie felt as if a boulder was pressing on her chest. It was only after she walked into the yard of the vi and the sound of Vivian¡¯s singing faded into the distance that she breathed a long sigh of relief. To her surprise, Julie suddenly saw a figure dressed in white on thewn. Upon taking a closer look, she found that it was Maria, practicing karate in a traditional white uniform. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. It was dusk, and the sun was quickly sinking towards the horizon. In the dim light, Maria¡¯s smooth and graceful moves looked even more powerful. Julie was so fascinated by the scene that her spirits rose again. Even the grogginess from the wine gradually wore off. When Maria stopped, Julie couldn¡¯t help asking her about it. Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°You seem very proficient in karate. Which master did you learn it from?¡± As soon as Julie finished her question, however, she regretted saying those words. After all, Maria came from the countryside. How could she know a master? But still¡­ Regret? Julie had always been a prideful woman. The emotion she hated the most was regret. ¡°I taught myself. There are many videos about karate on the Inte,¡± Maria said tly. Her words were always short and concise. She was not the type to voluntarily divulge information, such as the fact that she was only practicing karate in order to ease the frequency of her narcolepsy episodes. ¡°You¡¯ve learned it very well. I know some karate masters, but I find them to be just so-so.¡± Julie wanted to say something more, but quickly stopped herself. Chapter 69 Chapter 69 She had been about to say that Maria had a knack for learning new things, and that if she went back to school, she would probably have a promising future. But on second thought, she realized that it was ridiculous to say such a thing. Maria was an orphan who had only graduated from high school. She¡¯d probably spent her whole life in that small town if the Jenkins didn¡¯t bring her to Sheffield. What could she possibly achieve in life? For a girl like her, marrying into the Wilson family on Vivian¡¯s behalf was already an unimaginably fortunate fate. In fact, Julie was surprised to find herself even chatting with Maria. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. She had never imagined that she would waste time on this so-called adopted daughter. However, Vivian¡¯s singing in the vi still hadn¡¯t subsided. Compared to that, Julie would be happy to chat with a brick wall, let alone Maria. And the truth was, she felt inexplicably rxed when talking to Maria. ¡°You¡­ Have you eaten yet?¡± Julie didn¡¯t know what else to say, so she made small talk. Maria nodded. ¡°I made some noodles. I just finished them.¡± Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Hearing this, Julie was stunned. She frowned and asked, ¡°You made noodles yourself? Where is the maid?¡± She was upset again. Lily had been hired as a maid for the Jenkins family with a decent pay. Even if Maria was an adopted daughter, she was still the daughter of the Jenkins family. How could Lily neglect Maria like this? ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Maria answered honestly. She really didn¡¯t know where Lily had gone, nor did she care. Earlier when Patricia was showing off her authority, Maria felt another narcolepsy attacking on. She had hurried back to her room to take a nap. Both she and Julie had missed dinner tonight. Seizing the opportunity, Lily had only made dinner for Bill and Vivian and rushed out without preparing food for anyone else. But at this moment, a low growl sounded from Julie¡¯s stomach. Being a nobledy, Julie blushed at once. Chapter 70 Chapter 70 She was starving, but having grown up in a rich family, she didn¡¯t know the first thing about cooking. Looking at Julie up and down, Maria suggested, ¡°Would you like some noodles?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Okay.¡± Julie was stunned by Maria¡¯s offer to make noodles for her. Her first instinct was to refuse, but her mouth seemed to have a mind of its own, and somehow she agreed. The truth was, Julie was very particr about food and would not taste just anyone¡¯s cooking. Lily was not the best maid they had interviewed, but she was the best cook, which was why Julie had decided to hire her. When Julie and Maria returned to the vi, the sound of music and singing still came from upstairs, much to Julie¡¯s irritation. It was only after walking into the kitchen and closing the soundproof door that Julie¡¯s expression improved slightly. jan you eat spicy food?¡± Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. ¡°Well, just a little,¡± Julie answered subconsciously. She felt a little strange. Although she was an elder, she was somehow willing to be led by the nose by Maria. Maria got down to business right away. She kneaded the dough, let it ferment for a while, ttened it with a rolling pin, and then skillfully cut the t dough into noodles with a kitchen knife. Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ After cooking the noodles in a pot of boiling water, she prepared the soup and some fried pepper. The fragrant aroma of noodle soup filled the whole kitchen. As soon as Julie saw the fiery red pepper dripping over the noodles, she began salivating. When Maria was done cooking, she put down the Large bowl of noodles in front of Julie. When Julie noticed the beads of sweat on Maria¡¯s forehead, her usually cold face softened. hank you,¡± she murmured sincerely. ¡°I¡¯m going back to my room, Remember to wash the bowl after you finish eating,¡± Maria replied calmly as usual. After saying that, she walked out of the kitchen and back to her room. Sitting alone in front of the bowl of noodles, Julie was stunned. She had assumed that Maria had offered to cook noodles for her in order to get into her good books. But now, she could see that in Maria¡¯s eyes, feeding her was no different from feeding a pet. The gratitude in Julie¡¯s heart disappeared in an instant. However, the bowl of noodles looked too tempting to waste. After thinking for a while, Julie decided to take the bowl of noodles to her bedroom and finish it secretly there. She didn¡¯t want others to see it. Chapter 71 Chapter 71 Five minutes after Maria and Julie left the kitchen, Lily returned. She was in good spirits, because she had just earned some extra money for herself. Rich families like the Jenkins family had a lot of friends in high ces, and thus received a Lot of expensive gifts. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. The number of gifts was such that there was a room in the Jenkins family house especially for storing them. The Jenkins family couldn¡¯t be bothered to take care of these gifts personally, so they would ask Lily to tidy the room. Every once in a while, Lily would report to Bill that the high-end desserts and fruits sent by the guests were about to expire and should be thrown away. Bill never paid attention to such trifles. He would just absent-mindedly wave his hand and let Lily deal with it by herself. Today, Lily had lied to Bill that two high-end gift boxes were about to expire. After getting permission from Bill to throw the gift boxes in the garbage, she had secretly taken them to a gift-recycling shop. There, she had managed to sell the brand-new gift boxes at a Lower price. This was the source of Lily¡¯s extra ie. Lily hummed happily as she entered the house. As soon as she entered the kitchen, she found that the flour bag had been moved from its original ce. ¡°It must have been that country girl again. Let me see how much flour she took,¡± Lily murmured. Since she hadn¡¯t prepared any food for Maria, she had guessed that thetter would cook something for herself. Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ When Lily opened the flour bag, she found that the amount of flour missing was far more than needed for one person. ¡°Could she actually eat so much? That¡¯s impossible! Then¡­ did she steal the flour?¡± At first, Lily was confused, and then her eyes lit up with excitement. Just as she thought, Maria was a country girl with no guts at all. There were so many valuable things in the Jenkins family house, but she only dared to steal the high- grade imported flour. Lilyughed at Maria¡¯s cowardice, but at the same time, she was delighted that she finally had some dirt on Maria. Making up her mind, she rushed to the door of Maria¡¯s room and knocked hard enough for everyone to hear. ¡°Come out! You shameless Little thing! How can you be so shameless? Come out!¡± The noise of Lily¡¯s thumping on the door echoed throughout the vi. Even Vivian, who was practicing in the piano room upstairs, came down to see what was going on. Chapter 72 Chapter 72 When Maria opened the door, she found herself face to face with a fierce-looking Lily. The joy in the latter¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t be concealed. ¡°You stole something from the house!¡± Seeing that there was an audience, Lily became more excited. She pointed an usatory finger at Maria and said to Vivian, ¡°Miss Jenkins, I found her stealing. There¡¯s no debating it this time! I even have evidence!¡± When Lily¡¯s words finally registered in Vivian¡¯s mind, she had to suppress a squeal of delight. Vivian had a strong desire to prove that she was superior to Maria, and had tried to make things difficult for thetter several times in the past but to no avail. But now, it seemed that Lily had caught Maria red-handed! Although Maria couldn¡¯t have stolen anything valuable, this kind of despicable behavior was enough to leave a serious blot on her character. Even if Maria became Mrs. Wilson in the future, in Vivian¡¯s eyes, she would always just be a petty thief. ¡°Lily, don¡¯t shout. It¡¯s not good to let the neighbors hear it,¡± Vivian chided, perfectly ying the part of a nobledy. She straightened her back and raised her head as if she was looking down on Maria, even though the latter was a few inches taller than her. ¡°Maria, did you steal something from our house? How could you? It would be embarrassing if the news spreads.¡± Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Vivian walked up to Maria with folded arms and looked at her up and down, trying to find the stolen goods on her. ¡°Oh? Do you have any evidence?¡± Maria asked Lily, ignoring Vivian altogether. As usual, her voice was calm and emotionless. She didn¡¯t sound aggrieved, nor was she desperate to defend herself. Being stared at by Maria this way, Lily felt like she was a stupid marmot while Maria was a fierce prairie wolf. ¡°How can you act so high and mighty after stealing something?¡± Lily shouted, suppressing her fear. ¡°Miss Maria, you stole the flour from the kitchen, didn¡¯t you? That flour is a high-end imported good. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. It costs dozens of dors a pound!¡± Hearing that the item Maria had stolen was just flour, Vivian felt a little disappointed. Chapter 73 Chapter 73 Even if Maria had stolen the flour, how was it a big deal? It was not as if the kitchen of the Jenkins family home was a grain warehouse. Even if Maria stole all the flour in the kitchen, it would not be a big enough matter to file a police case. But on second thought, Vivian concluded that stealing flour was just the kind of thing that a country girl Like Maria would do. Even though the Jenkins family had many Luxury goods just lying around in the house, Maria didn¡¯t know their value. The only thing she had thought of to steal was food from the kitchen. ¡°Why did you steal flour? It¡¯s too embarrassing to even talk about. Anyway, it¡¯s not a big deal. You should go to Mom and Dad to admit your mistake. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll go with you,¡± Vivian said decisively, as if she had the final say in the matter. Hearing this, Lily was secretly happy. Despite how generous Vivian sounded, she insisted that Maria apologize to Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins. It was clear that Vivian also hated Maria. Having worked for many rich families before, Lily was quite observant and immediately saw through Vivian¡¯s thoughts. Although Vivian spoke to Maria in a kind and gentle way, it was in to see that she didn¡¯t intend to let go of Maria. After all, if Vivian cared about Maria even a little, she would have scolded Lily and covered the matter up. ¡°I was hungry, so I took some flour to make some noodles for myself. Is that considered stealing?¡± Maria asked calmly, Looking at the two women in front of her. Lily scoffed. Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°If you just wanted to fill your stomach, then of course that¡¯s not a problem. But how much could a young girl Like yourself have eaten? There seems to be at least a pound less of flour in the kitchen, Miss Maria, are you iming that you can eat a whole pound of noodles in one meal?¡± A normal person would eat about a pound of food a day. Judging by Maria¡¯s slender figure, it was impossible for her to eat at one meal what a normal person would eat in a day. ¡°Miss Maria, stop denying it. You are a thief!¡± Lily said in smug satisfaction. She had just finished speaking when Julie slowly walked down from the second floor of the vi, carrying an empty bowl in her hands. In her bedroom, Julie had finished the whole bowl of noodles and even drunk up the soup to thest drop. Even though it was just a normal bowl of homemade noodles, she felt like she hadn¡¯t tasted such delicious food in a long time. Because of that, Julie now had a good impression of Maria. When she came downstairs, she was confused to see Lily and Vivian blocking the door of Maria¡¯s room in a hostile way. ¡°They used me of stealing,¡± Maria said to Julie calmly. In her tone, there was no hint of pleading or an intention to ask for help. She simply seemed to be answering Julie¡¯s unasked question. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Julie was stunned. Chapter 74 Chapter 74 ¡°Oh? Stealing what?¡± As if she was standing in court, Lily pointed at Maria. ¡°Madam, Miss Maria admitted just now that she touched the flour in the kitchen. She ims that she used it to make noodles, but there¡¯s at least a pound of flour less. She is not a cow. How could she eat so much noodles in one sitting?¡± After a pause, Lily continued, ¡°I suspect that Miss Maria stole the imported flour and sold it somewhere else¡­¡± She confidently continued her usation, not noticing that Julie¡¯s face was getting gloomier and gloomier by the second. Julie put down the bowl slowly with sharp eyes. ¡°Did you just say ¡®cow¡¯?¡± she asked through gritted teeth. ¡°That¡¯s right! Only a cow could eat so much in one meal.¡± Lily exined the situation animatedly, but soon, she started to feel that something was wrong. Julie¡¯s eyes were as cold as ice. But why did she keep ring at the maid instead of at thief Maria? Julie came from a well-educated family, and had always been taught to act like ady. But at this moment, she really wanted to tip the empty bowl on Lily¡¯s head! Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Over the years, even though Julie¡¯s family members had gradually distanced themselves from her after she married Bill on impulse, none of them dared to speak rudely in front of her. Now, all she had done was eat a bowl of noodles. How dare someone insinuate that she was a cow? And that someone was her servant, no less! ¡°Maria, the noodles you made for me was delicious. Thank you.¡± Julie finally opened her mouth and spoke to Maria. However, it was not the harsh rebuke that Vivian and Lily were eagerly awaiting. ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Maria nced at Julie, and then at the empty bowl kept aside. ¡°Wash the bowl yourself,¡± she said tly. ¡°Oh¡­ Okay.¡± Julie frowned, feeling a bit upset. She had just defended Maria against a false usation, so why didn¡¯t thetter feel grateful? How could Maria still be so arrogant? Maria had been an orphan since she was a baby. Had she simply been born fearless? Chapter 75 Chapter 75 It was only now that Lily and Vivian also realized what was going on, and they both gulped. Lily, in particr, was startled. She remembered that she had not only not cooked dinner for Maria, but that she had also neglected Julie! In fact, when she had seen that Julie was drunk, she had assumed that Julie would sleep till dawn. After all, every time Julie drank with Patricia, she would drink to the point of cking out. Now, Looking at Julie¡¯s discontent face, Lily couldn¡¯t help but tremble. Vivian said in disbelief, ¡°Mom¡­ You let Maria cook for you?¡± She had always thought that her mother disliked Maria, too. As soon as the question left her mouth, Vivian smelled the aroma in the air and immediately recalled the noodles that whet her appetite Last time. She stared at Lily, perplexed. Wasn¡¯t that Lily¡¯s cooking? ¡°Maria is a good cook.¡± Julie pursed her lips as if she was recalling the excellent taste. ¡°Vivian, you should learn from Maria. You¡¯re already an adult, but you still can¡¯t do any housework. Come and wash this bowl for me.¡± Without so much as bothering to look at her daughter¡¯s reaction, Julie turned to Lily. ¡°I¡¯m very disappointed with your performance. Half of your sry will be deducted this month.¡± Lily shook from fear after insulting the hostess identally. Her job could be on the line because of that. Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ When she heard that her punishment was a fifty percent deduction from her sry, she heaved a sigh of relief. Losing some money wasn¡¯t a big deal, and she was not bothered in any way. As Long as she could steal a few gifts from the Jenkins family and sell them secretly, she would definitely make up for her loss. ¡°I am going to wash the bowl. You don¡¯t have to concern yourself with that,¡± Lily said to Vivian. Actually, she couldn¡¯t care less about the bowl. She just wanted to leave the scene. So immediately Vivian nodded in agreement, Lily rushed to the kitchen awkwardly. After that, the room was quiet for almost thirty seconds. ¡°Mom, I have put some ns in ce to attend a banquet with Aunt Patricia tomorrow. Would you like to go with us?¡± Vivian broke the silence and changed the topic. Obviously, she was trying to please Julie. ¡°I can inform her in advance to make arrangements for an extra seat, if that¡¯s fine with you.¡± ¡°The sponsor of the party has invited me. So I don¡¯t need anybody to take me there,¡± Julie replied coldly. Prior to her daughter speaking to her, she looked excited because of the delicious meal she had. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. ALL of a sudden, her good mood vanished into thin air. Chapter 76 Chapter 76 ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me, Mom!¡± Vivian couldn¡¯t hide her shock. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why didn¡¯t you tell me to go with you?¡± She stared at her mother after the question. It soon dawned on Vivian that her mother had been living in seclusion. Although Julie was a very wealthydy, she seldom attended social activities Like banquets. Vivian then wondered how many activities Julie must have refused to attend over the years. Vivian felt that she would have had more resources and chances if her mother took her to these kinds of events to meet more big shots in the industry. The thought made her aggrieved and somewhat disappointed at her own mother. Having no idea what her daughter was thinking, Julie asked Maria out of the blue, ¡°Do you want to go to the party? I can give you my invitation to the event, if you like. It could be fun.¡± Vivian couldn¡¯t believe her ears. Even Julie herself was surprised at her own words. Maria had only been adopted for a couple of days. But she was already getting all this care and attention. Was all that really necessary? ¡°Mom, is it really appropriate for you to invite her to such a high-end party?¡± Vivian asked. Anger was seething within her. ¡°After all, she¡¯s from the countryside and is unfamiliar with the etiquettes of the upper ss.¡± Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ She looked at Julie and added in a loud voice, ¡°Has it crossed your mind that if Maria goes to the banquet with your invitation and makes a fool of herself, she would end up disgracing yo ¡°Vivian, I¡¯m not asking for your opinion,¡± Julie said with a frown on her face. Before she could said another word, Maria declined her offer. ¡°I don¡¯t need your invitation. If there is nothing else, please don¡¯t disturb me. You are really noisy.¡± She shut the door without minding the reaction of her newly adopted mother and sister. Therefore both of them were locked outside. Julie and Vivian Looked at each other. They were astounded by what just happened. How could she dare to do such a thing given that she had just recently be a member of the Jenkins family? ¡°At least, she¡¯s sensible enough to know where she is not wanted. The party is not for someone like her.¡± Vivian sneered and felt much better. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. She wanted to hold Julie¡¯s arm and act like a spoiled child. But her hand was gently pushed away. ¡°Mom, it¡¯s a good thing that she refused to go. Otherwise, she would have made a scene and embarrassed you.¡± Apparently, Vivian was still disgruntled. She continued to speak ill of Maria. ¡°She is my daughter and your sister now. So you must mind what you say about her,¡± Julie replied. ¡°If others hear such remarks from you, they willugh at our family.¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t deserve to be a member of our family. For all I know, you only have one daughter. And I am the one!¡± Chapter 77 Chapter 77 Julie wanted to say that Vivian and Maria were the same to her. But she hesitated. For reasons best known to her, she kept quiet. The next afternoon, Vivian was already done preparing for the banquet. Although, there were still two hours left before the event started in Viton Hotel, she had to be there in advance. At the same time, Patricia arrived at the Jenkins¡¯ residence to pick up Vivian. The Latter was invited to sing tonight, so she needed a bit of rehearsal before the banquet began. Vivian was wearing a gorgeous evening dress. It was as blue as the sky and was decorated with many pieces of brilliant diamonds. At a nce, one could assume how expensive and exquisite this dress was. Before going out, she deliberately nced at Maria with acent smile. However, she found that thetter was just Looking at her phone all this time, paying no attention to how well-dressed Vivian was. ¡°Humph! She must be very good at pretending not to care. But I¡¯m sure that she is very jealous.¡± Vivian scoffed coldly,ining to Patricia as they walked towards the car. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Patricia smiled sarcastically and added fuel to fire. ¡°What will you expect from an ordinary girl who grew up in a poor town? Of course, she could just pretend not to be envious. Honey, there is just a huge gap between you and her. You are worlds apart! You don¡¯t have to worry about her. ALL she can do is look up at you when you ascend to fame, while she is left at the bottom. Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°Thank you, Aunt Patricia. You are right!¡± Hearing this, Vivian was filled with more confidence. She couldn¡¯t help but imagine that tonight, an investor or a director would surely be charmed by her singing, and they would offer her something big. Meanwhile, in the vi, Maria was still sitting on the sofa with her arms around her knees. Hearing her phone chime, she Looked at the screen of her phone and saw a message. ¡°The party starts at seven o¡¯clock. So, I¡¯ll be there and pick you up an hour earlier.¡± It turned out that she had been chatting with Anthony. Seeing this, Maria checked the time. It was only five o¡¯clock. She still had plenty of time left. After all, she didn¡¯t need to put on aplicated dress or an borate makeup. ¡°Okay then. See youter.¡± After she replied, Julie happened to appear in the living room. Unlike Bill, who usually attended social activities just like her daughter, Julie was a bit aloof. She would just stay at the vi if the events to attend weren¡¯t that necessary. In fact, aside from Lily, only she and Maria were left in the house right now. ¡°What¡¯s this? Do you have somewhere to go tonight?¡± Julie immediately noticed that Maria had changed into a clean, in dress. Although it definitely was not made by a famous designer, and the style was not gorgeous enough, it was a little different from what Maria usually wore. Chapter 78 Chapter 78 Therefore, she had a hunch that there might be a special reason as to why Maria dressed up. However, before Maria could answer, Lily came out of the kitchen. But after the incident about the flour thing Last time, she deemed that she had to be discreet for a while. Then, she asked Julie with a cautious tone, ¡°Mrs. Jenkins, only you and Miss Maria should be having dinner at home tonight, right?¡± ¡°Why? What¡¯s the matter?¡± Julie replied with a question instead. Slightly nervous, Lily smiled apologetically and said, ¡°It¡¯s about the food for dinner¡­ The grocery store which we usually order things from, has suddenly closed. So now, the remaining food in the fridge is only enough for one person.¡± Although Lily said this with genuine embarrassment on her face, there was still a part of her that enjoyed this. Of course, she didn¡¯t y any tricks this time. It wasn¡¯t her fault that the food she could serve for dinner was not enough. As a servant, she could fill herself up with cookies or chips. But of course, this would be uneptable for the masters of the house. They should always eat the right amount and kind of food. However, the problem was there was only enough food for one person. It meant that someone would not be able to eat dinner. As the wife of the family¡¯s head, Julie had the right for it. But Lily would Like to see what Maria would do. If Maria dared to act like an uncivilized brat and compete with Julie for something like this, she would definitely be in trouble. Lily was convinced that since Maria came from a poor background, she would want to have her fill. Therefore, she was ready to watch something fun. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry. You can bring the food to Maria after you¡¯re done preparing dinner.¡± Surprisingly, Julie took the initiative to offer the food to Maria. Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ The Jenkins family always had rich afternoon tea. Since Julie had tea and desserts earlier, she was not that hungry yet. Moreover, she always paid great attention to her figure, so she didn¡¯t really eat much at dinner. Of course, Lily was very disappointed at this anticlimactic ending. But she still had other ideas in mind. ¡°Mrs. Jenkins, the main dishes for dinner are tuna bone marrow and top-grade abalones. Mr. Jenkins actually ordered them especially for you. I just don¡¯t think that it¡¯s appropriate to just give them to Miss Maria¡­ Hearing this, Julie swallowed hard and was rendered speechless for a while. Even though she couldn¡¯t cook that much, she knew that tuna bone marrow and top-grade abalones were very rare. Tuna bone marrow was a Luxurious seafood dish and she was able to eat it a few times before. It tasted the best when eaten raw. Most importantly, it easily cost an arm and a leg since a tuna fish only had so much bone marrow to offer. Then, it was going to be paired with top-grade abalones, which were also very valuable. In fact, even the cooking skills required to make these dishes should also be top-notch. Since Lily was a top-rated maid in terms of cooking, Julie was sure that she could create a sumptuous feast out of them. When Lily said that it might be a little inappropriate to let Maria have the meal, it was because the cost of this meal even exceeded the monthly food allowance of an ordinary family.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Chapter 79 Chapter 79 Therefore, Lily was simply implying that Maria didn¡¯t deserve to indulge herself to such a luscious meal. After all, she wasn¡¯t even a real member of the Jenkins family. Lily didn¡¯t have to say it word for word. Julie was smart enough to pick up what she meant. For a while, Julie remained quiet, thinking about what Lily pointed out. In fact, although Maria had been living with them for some time now, she still didn¡¯t approve of her as a member of their family. Julie then thought of her husband, Bill. Knowing that he bought the extravagant food especially for her, he would certainly be displeased once he found out that his wife gave it to Maria instead. Seeing that Julie was in deep thought, Lily put out a straight face, but she wasughing in her heart. Then, Lily said in an insinuating tone, ¡°Mrs. Jenkins, I¡¯ll prepare the dishes first and bring it to the dining table.¡± As for who would end up eating the dinner she prepared, Lily didn¡¯t care. She already sowed the seed of discord, and that was enough for her. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. After saying that, Lily went back to the kitchen, acting innocently. She was like a sapper who Laid out a mine and was just waiting for it to detonate. ¡°Maria¡­¡± Eventually, Julie broke the silence. She actually intended to ask Maria what she Liked to eat for dinner, meaning that she decided to eat what Lily would prepare. Julie thought that girls at Maria¡¯s age would probably have noints if they could have cheeseburger or pizza for dinner. So, she nned to order a take-out for Maria. If the girl was sensible enough, she should ept the arrangement and still be grateful. Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°I actually have something to deal with tonight. So, I¡¯ll be having dinner outside.¡± If only Lily didn¡¯t butt in earlier, Maria would have already said this much earlier. However, Julie was quite shocked. Although she already guessed that Maria was going somewhere after seeing her in a dress, she was still surprised when she actually heard her say it. Julie wanted to ask her for more details, but Maria had already gone back to her room. At the same time, it turned out that Lily also heard Maria say that she was going out. Because of this, she quickly came up with an idea to make Maria¡¯s image bad again. Hence, she went back to the Living room and whispered in Julie¡¯s ear, ¡°Mrs. Jenkins, it seems that even though Miss Maria is just new to Sheffield, she already has a rich nightlife. She always wears in shirts and jeans, but this is my first time seeing her in a dress. Hmm It¡¯s getting dark now. Is she nning to go to some party wearing that? Does she have new friends? I bet they are men who are going to be bad influences to her.¡± Julie¡¯s heart skipped a beat when she heard that. She thought that it wasn¡¯t impossible. Maria was stuck in a very poor town before. Now that she somehow gained freedom and came to this metropolis, she might want to try things that she never did before. However, she was already engaged to Anthony on behalf of Vivian. Chapter 80 Chapter 80 Of course, she couldn¡¯t be seen having fun with random men. Even if they were just friends, if this news reached the Wilsons, a misunderstanding would be inevitable. This might anger Anthony, and there would be no good way to exin it. Moreover, if Maria was really having an affair with another man, then Julie had all the more reason to stop it. ¡°Ma¡¯am, although Miss Maria isn¡¯t your biological daughter, she is still part of your family now. If she does something to put the Jenkins household in trouble, everyone will be affected. I¡¯m sure you also have the authority to discipline her.¡± Like a devil whispering in a mortal¡¯s ear, Lily continued to feed words in Julie¡¯s mind. She was deliberately making it seem like Maria was only going out tonight to do something shameful. At the same time, as if she waspletely brainwashed, Julie nodded and thought of what to do. ¡°You are right. It¡¯s better to be safe than sorry¡­¡± It was almost six o¡¯clock in the evening when Julie stood outside Maria¡¯s bedroom. Before she could knock on the door, Maria opened the door from inside. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. She was still wearing the in dress, and there was a small canvas bag on her shoulder. In it were a few of her belongings such as her mobile phone and facial tissue. Anthony said that he would be here at six o¡¯clock to pick her up, so she was about to go out. ¡°Maria, you¡¯re not going anywhere tonight.¡± Julie¡¯s face was solemn and her tone was serious. She thought that this was such a serious matter, and she couldn¡¯t let it happen under her watch. Maria¡¯s brows slightly furrowed, thinking what Julie was talking about. Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ However, when her gaze went beyond Julie, she saw Lily snickering not too far from them. Therefore, she instantly understood what was happening. ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. Now, get out of my way.¡± Maria¡¯s voice sounded indifferent as usual, but the Look in her eyes was rather fierce. Julie was taken aback. Not only did she find Maria¡¯s response to be unexpected, but she also didn¡¯t think that a beautiful girl like her was capable of giving such a fierce look. She couldn¡¯t help but subconsciously take a step back. But after a moment, Julie regained her composure and quickly re-established her authority as Maria¡®s adoptive mother. ¡°Maria! Even though you are just adopted, your status is now very different from before. You should learn to pay attention to your words and deeds. Have you forgotten that you are engaged to Anthony? If you are only going to some meaningless social activities, then I forbid you to-¡° Before Julie could finish her words, Maria got impatient and interrupted her. ¡°Enough. Will you shut up? You¡¯re making a fool of yourself.¡± As if the temperature suddenly dropped by a few degrees, the expression on Maria¡¯s face became more domineering. There was no sign of timidity or backing down. Her Last sentence was uttered in a low voice, but it was clear enough for Julie to hear it. ¡°You¡­ Did you just tell me to shut up? How dare you?¡± The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!